PUBLIC PURSE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 8

PUBLIC PURSE

HOW IT IS FELLED VARIETY OF TAXES The New Zealand citizen pays. » variety of taxes, direct and indirect, in order to keep the coffers of State in a solvent condition. In the present article, the main sources of the State's revenue are shown, tho figures being taken from tho 1929 Year Book. The total amount received by way of taxation during the year ended , 31st March/1928, was £17,145,145. Customs and excise duties accounted for £8,872,----212, laud tax for £1,154,479, income tax for £3,273,729, death duties for' £1,899,----370, totalisator taxes for £567,890, and other taxes for £1,377,465, The following table shows the total amount of taxation received, each year.since ,1919;,, ■ "■■.. ■-■ ■ ■•• -.. ■' •■■■ £ 1919 "....... 13,501,G43 1920 .............. 16,251,769 1921:, ...'........■. ,22,184,414 : 1922 ............ 16,370,516 1923 ..1....; 15,715,380 , 1924 16,540,438 •1925 . 16,549,609: 1926 17,254,688' ' 1027 .....i....... 17,437,827 1928.............. 17,145,145 Customs and. excise duties amount te> 01.75 per cent, of the total taxation, the percentage haying practically doubled since 1919, when it stood at 29.74 per cent, of tho total,. On the other, hand, the amount received by way .of income tax has decreased, from £6,219,336, or 45.06 per cent, of the'total in 1919, io. £3,273,729, of 19.10 per cent, of the total in 1928. Land tax has also dropped from £1,512,693, or 10.96 per cent. in 1919, to £1,154,479, or 6.73 per cent., in 1928. Death duties have increased by nearly £1,000,000 since 1919, and the totalisator taxes have increased from £229,273 in 1919 to £567,890 in .1928. Totalisator taxes 'now account for 3.31 per cent, of the total. It is interesting to note the, amount of taxation per head pf mean population, including Maoris, during the last ten years. : The figures are:— '

A special form, of taxation operating in New Zealand is.that paid into the Revenue Account of the Main Highways Board. This is derived from three sources: (a) All-moneys received as Customs duties imposed in respect of rubber tires, rubber tiring/ and inner tubes of rubber'for pneumatic tires; (b) nil moneys received by the Crown under any Act in respect of the licensing of motor-vehicles; (c) all moneys received in respect oj;. taxation on\motor spirits.' In 1928 the amount received by way of the tire tax was £227,451, motor; spirits accounted for £143,516, and fees collected under, the Motpr Vehicles Aot for making "a, total of £716,----477, or 4.18 per cent.- of the total-amount received: by way of taxation. The Main Highways taxation has increased steadily since 1923, as is shown by the following tab1e:—..,..::.::

. It should be pointed out that the collection of ' fees under'the Motor "Vehicles Act did not 'commence until 1925, and that the .motor spirits taxation did not operate until 1928.'. . The State also receives a substantial revenue from death duties. The amount! received since 1919 are as follows::—

.. ■■■ , . ■■-..■ ■■ .-■ £ '~ . 1919, ...•.........:;■ 869,371 ■ 1920- ............ .' 978,095 1921 ............ 1,106,925 1922 ............ 1,512,754 ■ 1923 ............ ,1.829,852 1924 1,517,315 ' 1925 ■ 1,520,749 . ; 19'2fi 1,484,181) , ,1927' ............. 1,690,374----1928 ..;.......... 1,899,370 " The 1928 .figures were made-up. at follows:, Estate duty, £1,455,976; succession, duty, £391,738; gift duty, £51,656. Investments made in the totalis|itor also return quite a substantial sum to the State, During thq year which ended on 3.lst July last, there were 319 racing days and,2528 racqs. The amount paid out in stakes was £591,780,: the totalisator investments amounted to £7,634,077, and. the amount paid out in dividends to £0,489,047.. The Government taxes were aslollows: On totalisator investments, £190,852; on dividends, £343,591;' on stakes, £29,589. Total, _ £564,032. Eofunds to racing clubs in respect of permanent improvements to racecourses' totalled £25,20!) in the financial year 1927-28, as against £31,174 during tho preceding twelve months. p. ■ During. 1928 the amusement tax collected by the State amounted t0£63,163.

£ s. a. .1910 ............ 11 17 1 1920 .; 33 11 1 1021 • 17 14 4 1922 12 14 8 1923 ............ 11 19 8 .1024 12 S 0 1923 12 3 5 1920" 12 7 11 1927 12 5 6 1928 1117 7

■'■■'■'■.:. . ..Amount,.,"',.-- ! ■■■..■ , .'. Received;" - . ■'• ''""" ■ ■ £ ? ;:{ ■■■■ ' 1923 '■ . ... ''121,603. 1924 ..... 123,508; 1925 409,803. 1926 .... 315,392 ' 1927 586,372 1928 , .... 716,477 Proportion of total per cent, 0.77 : 0.75 2.48 1.83 3.36 , 4.18