AN EXPLANATION.

Evening Star, Issue 19658, 10 September 1927, Page 9

AN EXPLANATION.

to THE EDITOR. Sir, —In the local reports of the proceedings in the House of Representatives last night, the Minister of Finance is reported as saying “the figures circulated by the Taxpayers’ Federation in a phamphict as to the amount of revenue receivable from each class of taxpayer were entirely incorrect.” As this statement was probably telegraphed throughout the dominion, I shall be obliged if you will allow me to explain the position. The figures prepared, by the Taxpayers’ Federation referred to “unearned ” incomes, which do not carry tho 10'per cent, rebate, but which constitute tho larger portion of the taxable incomes; while tho figures put into the hands of the Minister, presumably by one of his responsible officers, referred to “ earned ” incomes, which are subject to a rebate of 10 per cent. Therefore, if the Federation’s figures were wrong, as the Minister was made to say they wore, then the figures prepared by his department were still further astray, in that they applied to a smaller volume income than did those of the Federation, In any case it must have been quite plain to the responsible officer that the calculations rested on different bases, and that one was no more complete than • was the other. As already stated, however, tho Federation’s figures had the advantage of dealing noth a larger volume of income.—l am etc., Geokge T. Haul, Secretary, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Federation. Wellington, September 7,