‘Pettifogging’ tax attacked

Press, 5 June 1979, Page 7

‘Pettifogging’ tax attacked

PA Auckland “Nothing could be less sensitive or less justified, than this irritating, pettifogging little tax,” said the chairman of the Arts Council, Mr Hamish Keith on Saturday, referring to the 10 per cent sales tax on the work of artist craftsmen.

The Queen Elizabeth n Arts Council has asked the Government to remove the tax.

Mr Keith made the charge while opening the Fletcher Brownbuilt pottery exhibition.

“There is not a single economic argument that could be advanced in its favour,” he said. “As far as we can judge, the revenue it would earn

for the State’s coffers would be somewhere near a pathetic s4oo,ooo—hardly a significant dent in a defict of SIOOOM and probably less than the tax will take to administer.” Potters did not consume vast quantities of imported raw materials or energy, and their work was labourintensive, he said.

“Even the most pusillanimous bureaucrat could see no sense in taxing the sale of work of writers, painters, composers or poets.” The Arts Council had not only asked for the 10 per cent tax to be removed but it would make a case to free all craftsmen from the sales tax which previously applied to their work, he said.