“THE BLEEDING GOVERNMENT”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23499, 13 May 1938, Page 13

“THE BLEEDING GOVERNMENT”

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—ln your footnote to my letter under the above heading you say that I should not be paying income tax if my income does not exceed per annum. If you are correct, why have the postal officials twice asked for payment? I presume they are acting under instructions. I may say that 1 have not paid the tax yet, as I still want more light. In the instructions at the back of the paper to be filled in is the following:—“All persons who satisfy the commissioner that through physical or mental disability they are unable to follow any regular employment, and all persons who attained the age of 60 (in the case of women) or 65 (in the case of men) . . . Provided that in any case the income received from all sources does not exceed £lO4 per annum.” Of course, I know that at the age of 65 years I am exempt from the unemployment tax. Now, who is right—you or the postal officials? Is it a case of “ E dunno where 'e are ”? As your footnote took most of the sting out of my letter, I trust that you will do your utmost to clear things up.—l am. etc.. A Squirming Victim.

[The above letter makes it clear that the. tax to which our correspondent refers is not the income tax. . It is what is known as the emergency charge for unemployment relief—the tax on income other than that derived from salary or wages. In the case of this tax, the exemption from liability applies to an income that does not exceed £lO4 a year.—Ed. O.D.T.J