UNJUST TAXATION

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 28, 2 August 1934, Page 10

UNJUST TAXATION

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —'Will you kindly allow mo to endorso all that your correspondent "Masterman Ready" has written on the subject of ■ unjust' taxation in his letter published in your issue of 31st ult. And will you also permit me to thank you for tho trenchant criticism you have given on the subject in your sub-leader, undor the caption of "An' Indefensible 'Demand." Indefcnsiblo the c'twnand .undoubtedly is, yet tho Commissioner persists in .making,it as though its justice could not bo called in question. .

A similar demand has been made upon me, and. in my case, I havo been requested to make a supplementary declaration under the Unemployment Act asserting that the stamp duty paid was part of my: income. This I have declined-to do because by no sort of logic can I see that the, stamp duty paid away by mo can be held to be part of my income.- If the law says that it is, then the law needs .amendment and the Commissioner would ba fulfilling his duty to the public far more efficiently and effectively by promoting legislation to remedy the defect in the law (if such defect exists) with a view to putting all taxpayers on an oqually just and equitable footing. Instead of adopting that obviously right and honourably course, tho authorities olect to ongago in the relentless pursuit of the already harassed and overburdened taxpayer and inoquitably exacts the last farthing under these unjust legal powors. X cordially, endorse tho concluding comment in your admirable article: "An ivnwarrantablo exaction such as this gives riso to far more, antagonism and difficulty ttian the return can possibly bo worth." v In conclusion I would liko 1p add that, this is not an isolated instance of unjust trcatinout by t the • taxing authorities. Thoro have bean others, much of tho same nature, in my own personal experience, and I havo little doubt many other taxpayers could readily give similar testimony. May I suggest that tho time has arrived when a "Taxpayers' Defenco Association" could with advantage bo formed. At presont taxpayers are practically impotent becauso appeals to the Commissioner arc, in my experience at least, invariably futile. An association could retain the services of loading legal counsel to adviso on disputed points and taxpayers, instead of appealing to tho Commissioner, would appeal to the association, whoso duty it would bo to take tho matter up and fight it out, i£ just grounds existed for doing so.

Through tho medium of an association grievances could be aired and pressure brought to bear in the proper quartor to secure justice, Thoro must be many young and energetic taxpayers with sufficient lovo of fair dealing to move in the matter. I. do not contemplate a simply local association but a Dominion-wide organisation which would give advico and aid to oppressed taxpayers in any part of the Dominion. I bolievo such an organisation would be an immodiato success and that taxpayers would hasten to becomo metn~ bcrs. Then taxpayers' interests would command attention and they would be in a position to demand the justico which I submit they do not at present receive.—l am, etc.,

JUSTITIA.