CUSTOMS REVENUE INCREASES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 234, 1 July 1939, Page 13

CUSTOMS REVENUE INCREASES

Wellington Figures For: June A RECORD SALES TAX COLLECTION In spite of the import restrictions, which came into force early last December, Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington remains at a high level. The net revenue collected in June amounted to £335,716, easily the highest figure this year and £59,292 in excess of the total for June, 1938. For the six months of the current

year revenue from this source amounts to £1,825,837, an increase of £51,953 compared with the corresponding period of 1938. Sales tax collections last month totalled £134,328, easily a record figure and £18,171 higher than in June, 1938, while for the six months an increase of £84,335 is shown, indicating that internal trade is still on the increase.

The figures under all heads for the three of the current financial year compare as follows with those of the same months of the 1937-38 years:—

The net Customs revenue collected in Wellington last month totalled £335,716, compared with £276,424 in June, 1938, an increase of £59,292. For the six months of the current year revenue totals £1,825,837, compared with £1,773,884 for the corresponding period of 1938, an increase of £51,953. A detailed comparison for each ol the six months is given in the following table: —

Motor Spirit And Tyre Tax. The duty collected on motor spirit last month totalled £44,413 at 6d. a gallon, compared with £41,673 in June, 1938, an increase of £2740. For the six months the figures are £276,972 and £267,349 respectively, an increase of £9623. The amounts collected at 4d. a gallon are included in the net Customs revenue given above,, being paid into the Consolidated Fund, and are not now taken out separately. Collections of tyre tax last month amounted to. £2887, compared with £2075 in June, 1938, an increase of £Bl2. For the six months the totals are £15,600 and £10,945 respectively, an increase of £4655. Sales Tax And Beer Duty. Collections of sales tax in June totalled £134,328, easily a record figure, compared with £116,157 in June, 1938, an increase of £18,171. The total for the six months, £721,688, shows an increase of £84,335 when compared with the £637,353 collected during the corresponding period of 1938. This tax came into force on February 10, 1933, and the amount so far collected in Wellington totals £6,390,648. Beer excise collections last month totalled £6524, compared with £5BlO in June, 1938, an increase of £714. For the six months the totals are £38,563 and £41,095 respectively, a decrease of £2532.

AUCKLAND REVENUE

By Telegraph—Press Association.

AUCKLAND, June 30.

All sections of revenue collected'by the Customs Department in Auckland in June were higher than in the corresponding month last year and sales tax collections created a new record. With the exception of excise on beer, all collections during the first half of the present year were also greater than for the initial six months of 1938.

June figures, with those for June, 1938, in parentheses, were aS follows: Customs revenue, £282,022 (£250,028) ; motor spirit ta.", £75,804 (£68,057); tyre duty, £2609 (£2409); excise on beer, £15,743 (£15,342) ; sales tax, £102,997 (£86,208).

CHRISTCHURCH RETURNS

By Telegraph—Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, June 30. Au increase of inore than £38,000 iu Customs receipts in Christchurch for the first three months of the current financial year to June 30 by comparison with the corresponding period last year, is shown by returns issued by the department today. The greatest increases are in sales tax and Customs. The total for this year was £528,973, compared with £490,318 last year. Returns for the mouth of June exceeded those of June last year by £25,298. Details are as follows:— April 1 to June 30: Customs. 1939, £278,404, 1938, £268,535; beer, £31,190, £30,059; petrol, £83,043, £75,165; tyres, £2295, £3059; sales tax, £126,923, £106,010; light dues, £1648, £2045; export. levies, £5302, £5210; miscellaneous, £.168, £205; total, £528,973, £490,318. Month of June: Customs, 1939, £85,595, 1938, £74.372; beer, £9186, £8548; petrol, £26,940, £24,209; tyres, £589, £652; sales tax, £44,844, £33,960;' light dues, £491, £41.0; export levies, £1645, £1814; miscellaneous. £5l, £7B; totals, £169,341, £144,043. DUNEDIN FIGURES By Telegraph—Press Association. DUNEDIN, June 30. There was an appreciable increase in Customs and other revenue collected _in Dunedin and at the Port of Otago during the last month, compared with that for the same mouth last year. Returns for the last quarter and the last six months also showed increases over those for the corresponding periods of 1938. Customs returns during June amounted to an increase of more than £2200 on those of June, 1938'. For the first quarter of the year, receipts in this section showed an increase o£ more than £9OOO, compared with the April-June period last year. . June figures: Customs duty, 1939, £59,061, 1938,, £56,792; beer duty, £20,431, £22,391; sales tax, £28,240, £24,400; petrol tax, £18.728, £15,412; gold tax, £1558, £1322; tyre tax, £287, £646; wool tax, £l2l, £136; totals, £128,898, £123,846. Returns for the quarter: Customs duty, 1939, £180,247, 1938, £171,149; beer duty, £73,257, £75,790; petrol tax £a2,295, £46,980; sales tax, £82,476, £<4,388; tyre tax, .£2028, £2088; gold tax, £4420., £57'25; wool tax, £1232. £870; totals, £398,280, £383,074. ■ Returns for half-year: Customs duty, 1039, £368,988, 1938, £380,712; beer duty, £161,502, £162,259; sales tax, £162,107, £151,263; petrol tax, £10a,69i, £99,996; gold tax, £9502, £10,395; tyre tax, £5173, £3633; wool tax, £2570, £2428; totals, £820,343, £817,387.

1938-39. £ 1937-38. £ Net Customs .• ... 920,991 877,529 Sales tax ... 377,289 327,439 Motor spirit • ■ ... 134,563 133,954 Tyre tax ... 6,361 6,157 Beer excise ... ... 19,747 19,999

.1938-39. 1937-38. £ £ January .... .... 279,059 313,183 February ... .... 304,761 262,071 March .... 321,026 321,102 April .... 264,859 309,155 May .... 320,416 291,949 .... 335,716 276,424 Totals .. .... 1,825,837 1,773,884