Income Tax May Force Sports Bodies To Close

Chronicle (Levin), 14 May 1948, Page 5

Income Tax May Force Sports Bodies To Close

Press Association.

(Per

)

WELLINGTON, May 33. "Our assessment for the 1946-47 season was £5045," said Mr. Len Stewart, chairnian of the Ilutt Valley Boxing Association, today when conlirming tho Auckland press message ihat ])rofessional sports bodies had been advised that they were liable to income tax and soeial security payments. Jifr. Stewart said a demand for payinent had not vet been received but that when it was the association would make everv endeavour to have the Department 's ruling buried. Otherwise he could see no alternative to his association going out of existence^ • ' They have placed us in the same categorv as an ordinarv business even though all our activities are directed towards the welfare .oi' boys in our district. If the Income Tax Department pevsists in its att.iiude I will say quite de/initely that I for one wrill no longei eontinue to devotc my time and energy to sport, and I dou't think anyone else will. None of the members of our association are paid for what they do for boxing, and if this hurdle is added to the difficulties and uncertainties , alreadv faced we obviously cannof carry on. " i Representations had been made to Mr. Nash, but apart from the faet that no demand had followed the 1946-47 assessment nothmg had been heard from the Minister. The association had been asked to supply an assessment for 1947-48, but Mr. Stewart had had a loss of £2197.