Farmers don’t have to worry about a January deadline to file beneficial ownership information with the federal government. In a last-minute reprieve for more than 230,000 farming operations, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled reporting requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act are now delayed indefinitely until legal challenges to the law can be heard.

The appellate court’s decision to delay enforcement reverses it’s Dec. 23 decision allowing the law to go into effect. That ruling overturned a Texas federal judge’s Dec. 3 decision halting the law.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall called the legal back and forth “court ordered whiplash.” Still, he says the Farm Bureau appreciates the court’s recognition that a last-minute reinstatement of the reporting requirements caused an unwelcome scramble for farmers and other small businesses.

“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,” Duvall says. “Lack of guidance and poor public outreach from the government have left many farmers in the dark about whether they’re expected to file.”

If the law had gone into effect, impacted farmers could have faced felony charges, more than $10,000 in fines and even prison time. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was among the farm groups lobbying for the delay. NCBA sent a Christmas Eve letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging her to halt Corporate Transparency Act enforcement.

While happy with the appellate court reprieve, NCBA executive director of government affairs Kent Bacus notes his organization still wants Congress to enact legislation shielding cattle farmers and ranchers from what he considers to be a “burdensome mandate.”

“These court rulings have gone back and forth and continue to add to confusion,” Bacus says. “NCBA urges all cattle producers to consult with their attorney and/or tax professional for the latest information.”