Land and Income Tax

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 68, 5 December 1891, Page 3

Land and Income Tax

(Continued from last issue). OWNEKS' REURNS. , It most instances owners who have laiid of the value of ±'500 will have received by post from the ■Wellington office a-form iof return, and assessors have been instructed to leave forms, where, none have been received,, with those who own land the improved value of which is £400. It is noV desired to obtain returns from those .who are clearly not taxable, but owners' are 'riot •"• relieved from the responsibility cast upon them by the Act to furnish returns merely because a form may: "not have been delivered tc them. Returns should be forwarded to the Wellington office on or before December 31st, and owners ; need not wait for a visit from an assessor. It is desfred to obtain in a return the owner's estimate of the value of his land and improvements, and it is not necessary that he should confer with an accessor before furnishing it, for if the owner and the assessor should agree as to the value that would not free the owner from the consequence of making an intentionally incorrect return. Under the Property Assessment Act an owner was fined for furnishing ah incorrect statement of th 6 value of his property, although he and tbe assessor bad agreed to the : value which was proved beyond all question to be very much below the worth of the estate. I mention this because a belief did exist that an agreement \yith an assessor removed from the owner all responsibility in declaring the valua. -It is specially provided that the assessor's value shall not be binding on the Commissioner. Owners should remember that personal property ought not to be included in the returns, and also that no debts, in the ordinary acceptation of the term can be deducted. It would be well that landowners should afford assessors all the information they are entitled to obtain to enable a correct estimate of the value of land and improvements to be made, and managers and others are, in absence of owners, requested to supply information as provided by regulation No. 22. This regulation is as follows :— An assessor may from time to time, at any reasonable hour during the day-time, enter upon any land or premises in the district for which he has been appointed, or upon any part of such land or premises, for the purpose of assessing or valuing the same or the improvements thereon, or for any other of the purposes of the Act or these regulations, and may put to the occupier or owner or any person employed thereon . any questions touc.hing such" land or premises, or the particulars •which such owner is required to return concerning such land, or any other matter or thing orinfqrmatiqn concerning which such assessor may require him to make his assessment. '^■'-'■ : ' '■ • GENEEAIi. The assessment, of land now in pro■gress'is for the' triennial period commencing Ist- April, 1892, and this applies to the lands of. companies as well as to the lands of persons. I would like to remark, jin order to remoy.e some misapprehension, 'tfiat'the ; property tax due on November 26th is levied in respect, of the assessment made as to the Ist' of October, 1888, for , the'- triennial period which will terminate on the 31st of March next. This will be, therefore^ the last payment of the property tax. The. same opportunities will be given as i under the Property Assessment Act to "owners for objecting Jto the valuations of the Department. They will receive notices . of the assessments stating the improved value, : and value of improvements, and the unimproved value, and every opportunity will be given them to make objections. Such objections as may now be allowed will go to a Boardof ReView s for- decision, and these boards will in future be appointed every three . .years. ' ■-: ■.