PETROL TAX

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 49, 26 August 1931, Page 7

PETROL TAX

A GROWING YIELD

PAYMENT TO HIGHWAYS

BOARD

' An outline of the distribution of the petrol tax, which was increased from 4d to 6d per gallon as from 22nd July, 1930, is given in the annual report by the Transport Department, which was presented to Parliament yesterday. The gross yield for the year ended 31st March, 1931, was £1,417,294, and from this has been deducted refunds amounting to. £102,844 and commission to Customs Department totalling £14,400, leaving a net yield of £1,300,050. The net yields for the last three years and part of 1928 were as follows:—

Year ended 31st March. £ 1928 -«,„«„« 143,516 1929 ~..«..«,«^ 802,233 1930 .„ 961,907, 1931 «.«.,.«. 1,300,050

Total since inception of tax ..... £3,207,705

"There has been an. increase in th» application for refunds since the tax was increased to 6'd," Btates the report. "There are two main reasons for this—firstly, the financial stringency; due to the prevailing depression, and, secondly, the increase in the tax, which has now made it worth while for people to claim, refunds that they did not worry about when the tax was 4d.

"The distribution of the proceeds from the petrol tax between the Main. Highways Board and boroughs with, populations of 6000 and over was as follows, for the year ended 31st March, 1931:—

Main Highways Board . 1,219,209 Boroughs (population of 6000 and over) 80,841 Total £1,300,050 "After the Ist August, 1930, the proportion of the petrol tax paid to boroughs with populations of 6000 and over was reduced from 8 per cent, to 5$ per cent, under the Finance Act, 1930."