INCOME TAX ARREARS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 107, 30 January 1943, Page 4

INCOME TAX ARREARS

Collection Said To Be Satisfactory

The collection of income tax at present is satisfactory, the d.epiity-Com-missioner of Taxes, Mr. F. G. Oboru, said when asked whether the tact tiiat a large section of the community had come into the tax field through war wage increases had increased the difficulty of collection. Mr. Oboru added that it was considered that future collections should be equally satisfactory. . “Legislation was recently enacted, m the Finance Act, 1942.” Mr. Oboru said, “under which the Commissioner ot Taxes is authorized to require employers and debtors of defaulting taxpayers to deduct arrears of taxes from salary and wages and from amounts owing to creditors, and to pay these sums to the credit of the income tax accounts of such defaulters in liquidation of their indebtedness. The department has taken action to require payment by employers in a great number of cases, and the results have completely justified that legislation.

“Apart from that specific power given by rhe Finance Act, 1942, the department follows the procedure of other years by compelling payment by the adoption of the usual processes of the Courts. "'rhe Commissioner of Taxes has stated Hutt during war conditions it is essential that all taxes properly due should be promptly paid, and it is his intention to lake all lite necessary steps to ensure Hint, taxpayers in arrear are compelled to fulfil their obligations. “It will have been noticed, by the publication of prosecutions taken in tlie past few months against taxpayers who fail to render returns of income, that .tin) neglect, to make returns is viewed seriously, and it is the intention of the Commissioner ts continue suck prosecutions in cases where they are justified, to ensure that taxpayers fulfil their obligations both to make proper returns and to pay all taxes due.”