The Waipukurau Press. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1932. FURTHER ANOMALIES

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 128, 25 May 1932, Page 4

The Waipukurau Press. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1932. FURTHER ANOMALIES

As time goes on more and more anomalies are likely to be revealed in connection with the unemployment levy and taxation schemes of the Government. As reported from Auckland an unusual position has arisen with regard to the payment of the emergency unemployment charge by women in receipt of Government pensions. According to officials’ interpretation of the Unemployment Act and its amendments, a man in receipt of a pension under the Pensions Act, 192 6, is exempt from payment of the unemployment levy, and thereby of any tax upon the pension, but a woman receiving a pension is legally liable to pay tax upon the amount of the pension, less £2O. The position is that the Act, in, referring to payment of the levy, deals only , with male persons and the exemptions, which include pensions, are taken to refer only to male persons. Exemptions from the emergency charge are the same as those with respect to payment of the levy. Consequently a woman w’ho is not liable for payment of the levy cannot be classed as an exemption therefrom. An official of the Income Tax Department is credited with the statement that there is apparently an anomaly in the Act, and the Unemployment Board was now investigating the position. Women so placed were being asked meantime for a declaration of any income received other than the pension. It is interesting to note that any pensioner receiving additional moneys by way of salary, or' wages pays the tax upon the amount received, but no tax is payable if the extra amount received is income other than salary or wages.