FARMERS AND TAXATION.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18406, 13 August 1931, Page 9

FARMERS AND TAXATION.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The farmers as a class have been raising an outcry against the burden of taxation, and one would I imagine that in this connection they ! are the most hardly-treated body in the , community. It is well sometimes to analyse statements before accepting them at face value, and the following will perhaps serve to convince the farmers that far from being the most oppressed class in the community, they arc the most favoured, being let down extremely light:—“Almost a third of the land tax is now paid by urban landowners. Rural landowners pay about £650,000. Urban landowners pay £280,000 land tax and the greater part of £4,000,000 income tax, altogether almost seven times as much as rural landowners pay. Income tax 1914 was 9.37 per cent, of the total tax yield and land tax was 12.97 per cent. For 1929-30 income, tax was 18.15 per cent, and land tax 7.74 per cent. Last year income tax was greater and land tax less. This year income tax will be much greater. Land tax will not be increased. And what is the land tax burden? On rural land it is not much over £650,000 for all New Zealand. In 1928-29 the average lax assessed per return on owners of land ranging from £4OOO to unimproved value, was £8 lOs sd. nd 1 the biggest ciass of landowners £lOOO to £1999 unimproved value) the average per return was £1 18s id. Something more convincing is needed before the plea for relief at the expense of income or Customs lax payers ran be deemed reasonable.”- I am. etc., SULUMUN.