BUOYANT REVENUE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 58, 1 December 1934, Page 8

BUOYANT REVENUE

Customs Returns Rise

WELLINGTON FIGURES

Further Sales Tax Record

The Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington for November again reflects the steady increase in imports, and in business turnover generally, bor 14 months now the net revenue has in every case exceeded the figures for the corresponding month of the previous year. Last month’s revenue is notable as being the biggest total for any one month since November, 1930. Compared with the revenue collected in November 1933, there was an increase last month of £59,232, and compared with November, 1932, the increase was £66.549. The sales tax total, which is perhaps the best guide to business activity, is again a record one, exceeding last month’s record figure by £3295. The yields from net Customs and sales tax only, for the past two months, total £630,727, which represents the more than substantial increase of £l4a,-8o over the corresponding months of last year. The net Customs revenue collected at Wellington last month totalled £245,477, compared with £186,245 for November, 1933, an increase of £59,232. For the eleven months of the current year the net Customs revenue is £2,148,114, compared with £1,782,106 for the corresponding period of last year, an increase of £366,008. . A detailed comparison for each of the eleven months is given in the following

The duty collected on motor-spirit last month totalled £34,221 at 6d. a gallon and £22,814 (at 4d. a gallon a total of £57,035, compared with £38,646 at 6d. a gallon and £25,764 at 4d. a gallon a 'total of £64,410 for November, 1933, a decrease of £7375. The amounts collected at 4d. a gallon are already included in the net Customs (revenue given above, being paid into the Consolidated Fund, as distinct from (that at 6d. a (gallon, which goes to the main highways fund. The petrol figures for the eleven months are £634,446 and £628,678 respectively, an increase of £5768. - Collections of tire, tax last month totalled £2351, compared with £1312 for November 1933, an Increase of £1039. For the (eleven months there is an increase of £4950, the figures being £20,216 and £15,266 respectively.

Sales Tax anti Beer Duty. 1

Collections of sales tax in November totalled £73,509, a new record for the fourth successive | month, compared with £55,078 for November, 1933, an increase of £18,431. In October this year the figure was £70,214, in September (£62,508 and in August £62,054. The total for the eleven months is £650,732 compared with £402,326 for the same period of last year. This tax came into loperation on February 10, 1933, and the total so far collected at Wellington is £1,110,669. Beer excise collections for November totalled £4736 compared with £4621 for November, 1933, an increase of £ll5. For the eleven months (there is an increase of £844, the figures being £48,538 and £47,694 respectively. RETURNS ELSEWHERE Christchurch. — Customs returns for November compared with November of 3933, shown in parentheses, were as follow: Customs, £81,855 (£66,453); tire duty, £B2O (£406); motor spirit tax, £18,908 (£18,905) ; sales tax. £27,225 (£21,502) ; beer duty, £5744 (£6164). For the 11 months of 1934 the figures are: Customs, £758,680 (£762,278) ; beer duty, £71,938 (£72,912); motor spirits, £189,882 (£186,422); tire duty, £9504 (£7123); sales tax, £262,266 (£167,543). Dunedin.— With the exception of the tire tax, all returns for the month of November show an advance on ' those for the month of November last year. Feer duty, indeed, shows an advance of £4459, and this despite the fact that the duty is now 1/3 per gallon as compared with 1/6 an November of last year. Sales tax for nine months last year was £139,154, and compares with £209,923 for 11 months of 1934, Allowing for the extra two months 't can be seen that this tax would really show a large increase. The monthly returns, with last year’s totals given in parentheses, are: Customs, £61,820 6/8 (£53,982/9/1); beer duty, £23,658 13/2 (£19,199/9/7) ; sales tax, £20,192 17/9 (£19,453/6/6); petrol tax, £15,122 7/- (£12,885/10/3); tire tax. £462 19/10 (£478/6/-). Totals for 11 months are: Customs, £610,162/2/11 (£534,668/3/2); beer duty, £205,676 9/2 (£202,497/0/6) ; sales tax, £209,923/13/4 (£139,154/10/2—nine months); petrol tax, £140,522/18/4 (£139,052/13/3); tire tax. £7113/12/11 (£6275/11/-).

table: — 1934. £ 1933. £ January .. .. 194,707 182,059 February . .. 153,697 151,625 March ... * .. 179,703 149,167 April .. 182,126 136,913 May • ., 196,056 157,551 June ..... .. 154,052 148,706 July .. 211,351 152,248 August .. • 220,440 182,869 September .. 168,978 144,557 October ... .. 241,527 190,166 November .. 245,477 186,245 Totals .. .. 2,148,114 1,782,106 Motor Spirit and Tires.