SALES TAX

Wairarapa Daily Times, 13 June 1933, Page 6

SALES TAX

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, Monday. An important contribution towards interpretation of the sales tax legislation has been made by a communication fironi the Minister of Customs (the Bit. Hon. J. G. C'oates). For the first time a definition lias been given in general terms of the application of the tax to goods used in processes of manufacture. The Minister’s letter is a reply to correspondence in which he was asked to interpret the classification ‘ ‘ materials used otherwise than in the manufacture of goods for sale.” Representations have been made to the Minister by various interests to the effect that actually all goods purchased by a manufacturer are inevitably ‘used” in the manufacture of goodsfor sale, and that any modification of this view would involve multiplication of -the tax upon the final product. The essence of this contention is that all the costs of manufacture and distribution enter into thei sale value of the final product and that if some of the costs are taxed there must be departure from the principle that there is to ■be only one payment of sales tax. “It appears to me,” said Mr Coates, in his reply, “ that a consideration of tho Act, as passed by Parliament, and a study of the history of its passage through the Legislature, do not confirm the view that it was the intention of Parliament that all materials, whether employed directly or as instruments in the processes of production, should in effect be exempt from sales tax.

“For example, under sub-section (3) •of section 11 of the Act, power is given to the Governor-General in Council not to grant refunds in ‘such cases’ as may be prescribed._ It. must, therefore, be presumed that it did not necessarily follow that all classes of materials used directly or indirectly in the manufacture of goods would 'be entitled to refund I may .say that it appears probable that it may yet be necessary to consider the advisability of using this authority to- make the measure mono workable.

“The position is -that, as a general rule, the following would be regarded as materials used in the manufacture of goods: — “(1) Materials that are physically incorporated in the finished product, and “■(2) Material that are not physically incorporated in finished product, but are employed directly in the process of production in the course of which they are wholly consumed or are recovered to a greater or lesser extent firom the operations for future use. ‘ ‘ The following would not fie regarded as materials used in the- manufacture of goods:—• “(a*) Plant, machinery,, and tools, also materials used in their operation or maintenance. ‘ ‘ (b) Articles and materials used, in the maintenance or repair of buildings. . . ‘ ‘ (c) Articles used directly or indirectly in the distributing or sale of goods. “Tho liability to sales tax of such goods would depend upon whether or not they were included in any list of exemptions for the time being in force under section 12 of the Act. The following are examples of the foregoing: (a) Typewriters and weighing machines, also lubricating oil therefor;, (b) •electric lamp bulbs, electric switches, and paint; (c) office stationery, furniture and equipment, motor vehicles advertising matter for the sale of goods.” —(P.A.)