.Revenue for the Treasury

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 179, 27 April 1931, Page 10

.Revenue for the Treasury

Sir. —As a potential source of increasing the amount of money available for the Government’s requirements, without further direct taxation, the following scheme is suggested:— (a) The payment of two pence (stamped receipt) as is now done on payment of a written account by every recipient of two pounds cash or upward. A very simple calculation will show that this would make a large sum of cash immediately available—without noticeable hardship. At a recent fire sale (drapery), the writer was told by the proprietor of a not very large shop that the takings for one day exceeded a thousand pounds cash. Not one stamp was expended on this —it was a bargain sale —cash over the counter. Every day large cash sales are made in shops—without stamped receipts. Again, consider the amount derivable from the payments of institutional Staffs, factories, and thousands of other groups who merely sign a salaries sheet (or pay roil) as a receipt. Large sums are paid out in this way to highly salaried officials, who could easily pay a direct stamp tax on eacli two pot.nds without hardship. The requirement of an extra two penny stamp on receipts for five pounds and upwards—or on every five pounds—is a possible further revenue source. —I am. etc.. REVENUE. April 22.