SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21414, 11 February 1933, Page 10

SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS

The length and the complexity of the list of exemptions from the sales tax have apparently encouraged many people to assume that the Government will easily be persuaded to make additions to it. The report of a discussion in the House of Representatives yesterday should correct that impression. As Minister in charge of the bill and responsible for administration of the system, Mr. Coates is certainly not inclined to Encourage indiscriminate recommendations in regard to exemptions. Conferences with representatives of the commercial community regarding the operation of the scheme will have first call upon the time he can spare. There is, in fact, much force in the suggestion by Mr. Harris that the present list should stand unaltered until all concerned have had time to assimilate the provisions of the scheme and its administration is running smoothly. In a few cases only, departure from this rule may be necessary. Attention has already been directed to the apparently invidious treatment of Bibles —a protest that might extend to prayer books and hymn books—and since church bells and organs are exempt, a plea for church furniture may also be raised. The most striking anomaly, however, is that while every other staple foodstuff is explicitly exempted, there is no mention of eggs or eggpulp. That omission ought to be repaired immediately.