AMUSEMENT TAX.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 243, 27 September 1922, Page 3

AMUSEMENT TAX.

MR MASEY'S REPLY TO WPORTB BODIES. The following reply has been received from the Prime Minister as a result of a meeting of repiesentatives from sports bodies called for the purpose of considering the Amusement Tax Bill now before Parliament. ‘‘l have to acknowledge the recipt of your letter of Bth instant, relating to the amusement tax aud its operation on sports bodies. As you are no doubt aware, the amusement tax was imposed entirely as a war taxation measure to help to meet the heavy burden of expenditure entailed by the war, and owing to the acute financial stringency at the present time, it has not been possible to remove the taxation altogether, although in the Bill just now’ before Parliament an instalment of relief has been provided. lam fully alive to the unpopularity of the legislation, and it was only stern necessity which compelled me to perform the unpleasant duty of imposing the tax, especially on bodies organised for the promotion of sports of all kinds ,and 1 sincerely hope that with the general improvement in the financial position of the country it will be possible to do away with the tax next year.” In view of the sympathetic nature of Mr Massey’s answer, it has not ueeti considered necessary to take any further action at present. The general feeling is that as the public finances require every assistance at the present juncture, it would be better to contribute to the revenue like “sports” for another year, rather than edeavour to secure exemption at once.