SCOPE OF TAX INQUIRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18680, 9 April 1924, Page 8

SCOPE OF TAX INQUIRY.

LAND AND INCOME ONLY. MR. MASSEY'S ASSURANCE. ACCEPTANCE OF FINDINGS. PROCEEDINGS IN PUBLIC. (BY TELEGttAFH.PBESS ASSOCIATION.] INVEECAEGII*L. Tuesday. The terms of the order of reference for the Taxation Commission were announced by the Prime Minister to-day at a luncheon tendered to him. Mr, Massey said the commission would be instructed to make inquiry into the present system of land and incomes taxation in all its aspects, including the scope, rates and incidence of the several allowances and reliefs, assessment, appeal and collection and the prevention of evasion. The commission would report what alterations of law were necessary or desirable, and what effect any such alterations would have on the rates of tax if it were necessary to maintain the total yield of land tax and of income tax respectively. Mr. Massey added that the scope of the inquiry was as wide as possible. The proceedings of the commission would be open to the press and the public, and, speaking for the Government, he would have no objection to the commission sitting in any centre of the Dominion, small or large. Ho could give his assurance that the Government was not going to depart very far from any principle laid down by the commission. As to the reasons for the appointment of the commission, Mr. Massey said there had been a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed over taxation. Farmers and business men said they were heavily taxed, and he would admit they were. His policy was that every man in the community should pay taxes in proportion to his ability to pay. The members of the commission were not selected because they were business men only, but also because they were acquainted with business principles and had studied the question of taxation. Objections had been raised to a Supreme Court Judge acting as chairman, but what nonsense it was ! Members of the Judiciary were held in the highest respect in New Zealand, and implicit confidence was placed in their findings. With a Supreme Court Judge at the head of the commission, the evidence would be sifted thoroughly and the whole question would be carefully examined. He believed that ventilation cf the subject would do an immense amount of good.