Local-body reps to get new tax exemptions

Press, 11 April 1978, Page 6

Local-body reps to get new tax exemptions

Local-body representatives recently got “pay rises” for attending meetings — and were criticised by ratepayers for accepting. Now thev find that, such payments . qualify for increased tax exemptions. The finance ar.d bv-laws committee of the Waimairi County Council, has been notified by the Counties’

ation that the Commissioner of Inland Revenue has agreed that the previous exemption limits for councillors be increased. For chairmen of committees the exemption will extend to $2O a meeting, with a limit of 80 meetings.a year exempt from tax. This means that if a committee chairman gets $2500 annually ’in meeting allowances, $l6OO of this will be “a reimbursement of expenditure incurred,” and therefore will be exempt from tax. The ordinary councillor will get up to $l7 a meeting, with a limit of 80 meetings a year, exempt from tax. The County Treasurer (Mr T. D. Clapp) reported to the committee that receipts for the month of March this year totalled $2,232,763, as compared with $1,483,296 ■ in March last year. ' ■ Payments. for the month were down on last' year — $2,363,355 in March this year, compared with $2,437,302 last year. Much of the meeting was spent in again discussing the pros and cons of the proposed metropolitan refusedisposal scheme. Estimates for the 1978-79 year will be discussed at a special finance and by-laws committee meeting on May 2.3 and at a special council meeting on May 31. i