STILL FALLING

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 183, 1 May 1933, Page 10

STILL FALLING

Customs at Wellington FIGURES FOR QUARTER Big Sales Tax Total The net Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington in April totalled £136,913, the smallest total lor any month since May 1931, when the total was £132,730. Compared with April 1932, when the revenue totalled £185,301, the decrease last month was £48,388: • . For the four mouths of the current vear, the net Customs revenue was £619,764, as against £731,020 for the corresponding period of 1932, a decrease of £111,256. As compared with the same period of 1931, when the revenue was £817,159, there is a decrease of £197,425. A detailed comparison for each of the four months is given in the following table:- iog3 193 „ . £. £ January 182,059 205,956 W& 131625 177,014 March .. ... Kid I” 2 ' 749 April 130,913 185,301 £619,764 £ 731,020 Motor Spirits and Tires.

The duty collected on motor spirit last month totalled £34,338 at 6d a gallon and £22,923 at 2d a gallon, a total of £57,261, compared with £38,412 at 6d a gallon and £12,805 at 2d a gallon, a total of £51,217 for April 1932, an increase of £6044. As can be seen from the totals at 6d a gallon, but for the increase of 2d a gallon which came into force in February last, there would have been a big decrease in the duty collected. The amounts collected apart from that at 6d a gallon are already included in the net Customs revenue given above, being paid into the Consolidated Fund, as distinct from that nt 6d a gallon, which goes to the Main Highways Fund. The figures for the four months were £235,971 and £212,390 respectively, an increase of £23,581. Collections of tire tax last month totalled £1676, as compared with £1991 for April 1932, a decrease of £315. For the four months there was a decrease of £2557, the figures being £4787 and £7344 respectively. Beer Duty. Beer excise collections for April were £4004, as against £4635 for April 1932, a decrease of £631. For the four months the figures were £17,884 and £22,050 respectively, a decrease of £4166. Sales Tax. Collections of sales tax in April .otalled £65,585, compared with £8894 collected in March. The huge difference in the two totals is accounted for by the fact that payments of this tax, which came into force on February 10 last, from that date until March 31, could be paid up to and Including April 28. Payment by or on that date entitled the wholesalers and retail manufacturers, by whom the tax is paid, to the 5 per cent, discount for prompt payment. A very large proportion of this tax was paid during the last few days of last week. The total revenue from this tax so far collected at Wellington is £77,162. OTHER CENTRES Christchurch. —Customs returns for \pril compared with the same month last: year are as follow: Customs, £52,343 (£61,961) ; beer excise, £6518 (£6538): motor spirits, £16,552 (£16,906) ; tire tax. £866 (£984) ; sales tax, £25.727 (—). Auckland.—Customs duty collected last month totalled £166,517, as compared with £157,813 in April, 1932. The total Customs collection for the four months of this year was £701,392, as against £657,225 in the first four months of 1932. The amount collected in motor spirit tax was £39,419, and in tire duty £1525, as compared with £42,767 and £1960 respectively in April last year. Excise on beer amounted to £9735, as against £8609 in April last year. The collection of sales tax in April was £56,625, making a total of £68.157 to date.

Dunedin. —Customs returns for April totalled £40,711/7/2, as against £41,030 19/9 for April of last year. Beer duty amounted to £15,401/5/-, as against £20.237/12/- for the corresponding period last year. The sales tax for the month a mounted to £22,358/7/9. The tire duty was £683/18/-, as compared with £657 18/- for the corresponding period last year. I’etrol tax amounted to £14,087 10/6, as against £12,668/11/-.