THE BUDGET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 6

THE BUDGET.

As one of the large army of wage-earners I perused with much interest the reports of the presentation of the Budget. I should like to point out that in comparing Xew Zealand income tax with income tax paid in the United Kingdom the Minister of Finance omitted to mention that in England there is no separate levy for wa/res tax as in Xew Zealand, but it is included in English income tax, so that to make a fair comparison employment tax should be added to the Xew Zealand figures and completely reverse the position presented during the introduction of the Budget. To illustrate I take the middle figure of the Minister's table, £SOO earned income: Xew Zealand income tax. £44 14/8; levy, £1; employment tax, £2i> 13/4; total, £72 S/. English income tax, £03. The monthly earnings of a taxpayer in Xew Zealand earning £SOO per annum equal £60 13/4 per month, his direct taxation £72 S/ —more than a month's earnings, while his English op]rosite number escapes with £03. To those, who thus work for the Government for over one calendar month each year the Minister's opening remarks about '"causing the minimum of inconvenience to those who have to pay" must seem somewhat ironical. OXE OF THE CROWD.