THE SUPER LAND TAX.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19786, 26 November 1929, Page 10

THE SUPER LAND TAX.

DIARY NOTES OF A STOCK AND STATION AGENT. [These notes describe authentic .-»>cs of hard«hip which are the result ot the rc-en lecil'.ation imposing Super Tsx ou l.aij. They are sufrlitd by » reputable firm.] I. Mr "A": Mr •A" called in to enquire what steps tie should take to appeal assaiu>t a special land tax a>se>*iuent ot £JKX*. in addition to an ordinary land, tax demand for £'3oo made upon him. Ho stated that this was in connexion with two properties he held on March olst, 1929 —the total unimproved value of which was £3o,ooo—one property being valued at £"17,500 and the other at £12,51X'. In April last he sold the larger property oi about 1100 acres to two different buyers, one of whom purchased" about (300 acres and the other 500 acres (and in neither of these ca&ei> would super tax apply, as they would both come well under the £14,000 liraiO. When he sold this subdivided property, he matle provision for the payment of ordinary land tax for the year, amounting to> £3OO. and there was no hint that fresh legislation would Inter be passed to make him pay a super tax on the land ho had sold months before its pacing. The holding of the smaller property whi-!i he still retains does not render him liable to any super tax. He considers that it is an injustice to demand now this further £3OO from him. On the sale of the land he made a loss of several pounds per a< re on the price at which he purchased it a few years ago. He contend"? that he did in Aoril the very subdivision which the Government is trying to enforce by the penalty of super tax, and yet six months after he did it, he is being silked to pay the penalty for not doing