TAX COLLECTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3006, 17 February 1917, Page 10

TAX COLLECTION

Sir —Tn Australia recently a comhinaont nroeess was gone through which, resulted in hundreds of thousands of pounds being collected tinder the Land and Income Tax Act which would otherwise not have been received, antl T should think a similar result could lie obtained in New Zealmd if a" U"-to-date method of tracking defaulters worn inaucuraf.ed. . . ■ Within the M, few days I heard a person with a German name hraH";' thaft lie Iwd never sent in any land or income returns or paid any taw;, vhernns his neighbour, who was nmlcinr less income, had received an account for £510 excess profits. Another person who, to mv knowMne, has oeciinied 1100 acres for twelve years, has never been asked to send in a return, for venrs wist, the T)ennrtment has been in the hain't. of m*ki'i£c un returns of income for these failing to so. within the prescribed time. These; assessments are. of ronrse. based on, imetinarv (iws. Mnnv of these <J J 1 - ■ fnult'ers are business men nuite capable of making ElTeir own returns. No"*, every reasonable person knows that if a taxpayer is over obsessed ho ohiects. Does it not therefe™ follow that where the Department, fill th<! returns and no objection i' . lodeo'l, linder-assessment has occurred 111 nearly every case. T would not write thus if T were not "ire that manv ease' "iul taxpayer:""