AMATEUR SPORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26771, 14 May 1948, Page 6

AMATEUR SPORTS

HELP REQUIRED FROM PROFESSIONALS INCOME TAX BURDEN “New Zealand wrestling associations have been paying both social security and income tax since 1935,” said Mr J. J. Hall, secretary of the Otago Wrestling Association, when asked yesterday to comment on the announcement that professional sporting bodies had been advised that they were liable to such payments. At the annual meeting of the Dominion Wrestling Union in March, he added, the Otago Association moved that the union enlist the support of the New Zealand Boxing Council in persuading the Minister of Internal Affairs to ask the Minister of Finance to remove the The only reason that the taxes were required from the wrestling associations was that they employed professionals, Mr Hall said, but, like boxing associations, their entire income was spent in support of amateur athletes. If this was not done, the National Council of Sport would have to do the work of fostering amateur wrestling. No word had yet been received regarding the payment of income tax by his association, said Mr F. M. Paape, secretary of the Otago Boxing Association. He pointed, out that in supporting amateur boxers the association had incurred a substantial loss both in 1946 and 1947.