Court Ordered Whiplash: Farmers Granted Reprieve – Again – From Legal Filing

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the ping pong of court orders that ended with a court-ordered reprieve from Treasury Department reporting requirements for many small businesses.

Earlier this month, a federal court halted the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirement from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. On Monday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reinstated the Jan. 1, 2025, deadline. In a third about-face, late last night, the court reversed that order until arguments can be heard, delaying the reporting requirement indefinitely.

“Farm Bureau appreciates the court’s recognition that a last-minute reinstatement of reporting requirements caused an unwelcome scramble for small businesses, including more than 230,000 farmers. The latest court decision to postpone the filing requirement is the right thing to do, but the legal back and forth created a stressful holiday season for many farm families. Lack of guidance and poor public outreach from the government have left many farmers in the dark about whether they’re expected to file.”

Under the BOI requirement, businesses that fail to file or do not update records when needed could face criminal fines up to $10,000 and additional civil penalties of up to $591 per day. Failure to file could also lead to felony charges and up to two years in prison.

Read the latest court order here.

Read a Market Intel on the Beneficial Ownership Information requirement here.