M.P.s’ Salaries In Question

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31861, 13 December 1968, Page 21

M.P.s’ Salaries In Question

[ (New Zealand Press Association) ! WELLINGTON, December 11. >■ Because the salary and allowance : payments to members of Parliament ;; were made under the terms of a statute, there was nothing an M.P. could do to exclude any part of those payments j from his income, the Minister of .[ Finance (Mr Muldoon) said in Parlia- ! nient today. , Mr Muldoon was replying fore liable to be assessed

i to a question from Mr L. W. 1 i Gandar (Nat., Manawatu), who had asked: “In the event I of a member refusing to < accept ah increase in his i ■ salary, would the amount so 1 [(refused be liable to incur { [income lax and be treated as j a gift to the State, and there-

tor gift duty?" Mr Muldoon replied: “If an M.P. decided not to accept certain money due to him under the Civil List Act, the legal effect would be that he had received income and subsequently disposed of it as a gift. “The gift would be dutiable because there is no exemption for gifts to the Crown. Whether or not gift duty would be paid would depend on the amount of the gift.”