TAXATION UP AGAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 4, 5 July 1926, Page 8

TAXATION UP AGAIN

BECAUSE OF IMPORTS

CUSTOMS AT PEAK,

In 1923-24 New Zealand was taxed, per head of population, £12 Bs. I n 1924-25 this fell to £12 3s sd, but in 1925-26 it rose again to £12 7s lid (or within one penny of the 1923-24 level) because New Zealand neutralised income tax concessions by importing more. To put it in mother way, one may quote from the "Abstract of Statistics" tor Juno, issued by the Government Statistician, the following statement: — "The increase in Customs revenue iv 1925- ---, 26 more than accounts for the whole of the net increase of £705,079 in the taxation figure for that year as compared with 1y24-25. With the exception of totalisator revenue, all other important heads of taxation revenue show decreases." Notwithstanding the growth of the country, income tax decreased from £3,----781,532 in 1923-24 to £3,386,052 in 1924----25, and to £3,368;516 in 1925-26. Land tax too declined over the same years— £1,426,463, £1,335,251, £1,266,659. But Customs rose from £7,361,783 to £7,689,----192, and again to £8,573,388 for the financial year just closed. The totalisator revenue fell from £618,----425 to £590,385, but in the year just closed it lookod up again, and contributed £659,642 to the sinews of war. The beer duty did just the «| posite. It rosa in.thej middle year (192<i-_5) and fell laat year. The beer d«y's last three performances are :—£632,0j4, £650,----384, £629,558. Death meanwhile preserved a tolerable degree of impartiality. The death duties in 1923-24 and 1924-25 were £1,517,315 and £1,520,749, but in 1925-26 they fell away a little to £1,484,189. The amusements tax subsided from £115,039 in 1923-24 to £64,162 in 1925-26.