WEST COAST TAX DEFAULTERS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26198, 23 August 1950, Page 6

WEST COAST TAX DEFAULTERS

Highest Proportion ’ In N.Z.

DEPARTMENT’S STAFFING PROBLEM From Our Own Reporter

GREYMOUTH, August 22. Mr N. D. Smith, superintendent of the Grey mouth .branch of the Land and Income Tax Department, said today that there was a bigger proportion of tiefaulting taxpayers on the West' Coast than in any other part of New Zealand.

Mr Smith was giving evidence before the Military Service Postponement Committee in Greymouth. He supported an appeal to retain the services of a member of the department's staff who had volunteered for service with K Force.

“The Greymouth branch of the department, more so than any other branch, has a large proportion of defaulting taxpayers,” said Mr Smith. “This causes us quite a lot of concern and extra work.”

A total of 7900 persons on the West Coast were assessed for income tax, continued Mr Smith, and 7500 were assessed for social security taxation. “Forty per cent, of these people do not pay their taxes by the due date, and a large proportion of them require deductions to be made from their salaries,” he said. “All this means extra work, and in cases 20 entries have to be made in the ledger where the tax is being paid in instalments.” The Greymouth branch of the department had a staff of 43, but not all were trained officers. Of the Greymouth residents who had joined the branch when it had been opened in October, 1946, few had remained, and difficulty was experienced in obtaining Other Greymouth recruits for the staff, Mr Smith added. The committee recommended a postponement of service for the man concerned in the appeal, Victor Edward Donnelly, an accountant.