RACING TAXES.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 195, 16 August 1920, Page 5

RACING TAXES.

ANOTHER PROTEST. :!ti._ PER CENT PAID LAsT YEAK. The Oovernment proposal to increase racing taxes by assessing racing clubs on their income, was made the subject of .some interesting remarks by lion- K. \V. Alison, president of the Takapuna Jockey Club, at the annual meeting of that, body this afternoon. It was nicntioned that out of total receipts reading _.'!:}.10-2 1:1/ li the Takapuna club had paid .-ll.li.VS '-I'll in Oovernment taxes. This, with the addition of ordinary rates, made the taxes lip to about .'JIiJ per wilt uf. the receipts.

•'Notwithstanding the enormous taxa . tion upon the racing club., and racing ; public," continued Mr. Alison, "a demand has recently been made by tiie Department for income tax for the years lIHU < 1917, 191S, 1919. -and HhW. 1 feel confident that whatever may be the views of members of Parliament at the present time, the Legislature never contemplated live veins ago that in addition to tiie heavy taxation imposed that racing clubs would be .ailed upon to. pay income tax, and that r-ucli . lav would now l.c mn.le retrospectively for live years. The majority of ra.-ing clubs, like .mr own. have shown a most commendable sporting spirit and enterprise, and further, individual members 'have in that same spirit taken personal responsibilities which they would not have done had they even imagined that the tlovernmen! would without warning or intimation make j claim for live years' income tan- If the | (tovernmenl insists upon the collection 1 of this tax, il will press hardly upon nil ! clubs, bin particularly those carrying a I ! large indebtedness or not financially j strong. As members are aware, the whole of the surplus profits made liy| j racing dubs are either expended in j stakes or in improvements, and many i-hrbs are carryin_ burdensome linaneial responsibilities. The total tuxes paid by the club during the year. viz. 012.079 12/4, exceeded the total amount of stakes paid ( .-9,67.-.) by -2.404. It may interest, members to be informed of the -pe.-ial forms of taxation' which racing clubs have been paying to the llovernment: — (1) 2.1 per cent on gross totali-sa-tor investments. (2) 21 per cent on gross amounts received for gate money sale of race cards, privileges, el.. f:tl 24 per cent on all tofalisator dividends (4) 1 per cent on all stake- paid, to)

Amusement tax. Undoubtedly the (i_vernment needs all tiie money it, can raise, but if it U found m-c-cssary to impose further taxation upon lacing clubs and the racing community, nn-li taxation should be clearly made known and not be made retrospective."