THE Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1879. THE LAND TAX ACT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 38, 7 January 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1879. THE LAND TAX ACT.

As "The Land Tax Act, 1878," came into operation on Wednesday Ist inst, a brief resume of its leading provisions will be acceptable to our readers. We noticed that the New Zealand Times, which has bitterly opposed the Land Tax all through, stated a few ydays ago that "it is whispered that considerable difficulty is experienced in the administration pf the Land Tax scheme, particularly in the way of getting information as to the value of the land. The ex.

penses too are said to be in excess of what was intimated." Our contemporary, may not hare caught tlie whisper correctly, or perhaps the wish was father to the thought. But whether tlie present Act is found to be difficult of administration dr hot, does not affect the broad fact that by tlie passing of the Act now under review, the principle has Mo&n assorted by this Colony that the laud should bear a fair share of the taxation. The present Art may need material alteration in its details* The methods of valuatiohetid collection may require to be reorganised, but now the general principb of the taxation of the land is aii'iruiod, the details will be altered p*id improved as experience suggests. Ooming to the Act itself we fini it is divided into 64 sections. The rate to be. paid ia " one halfpenny for every pound of the Capital value, according to the valuation under the Act, over and above the sum of £500." though it is provided that "where any person is the owner of land in different parts of the .Oolony of the aggro** gate value of £500, such property should bo within the exemption be. fore providod." The land is%^e valued at "tho capital value thsfflpf to sell, after deducting therefrom the value of all improvements thereon ;" whilst Grown lands held ibr pastoral purposes are to be valued at the selling value without improvements. " Who are to be deemed owners," is carefully defined, and leaves, we imagine, ver} few loopholes of escape from payment. All land owned and occupied -by Maoris is exempt from tlio tax Land used as sites for churches, public schools, colleges, and universities, cemeteries, libraries, Athenaeums, museums, friendly or agricultural sooieties, meeting rooms of local governing bodies , charitable institutions, public domains &c, &c, is exempt from taxation. The valuation undor the Act is to be made every third year, and the valuers nre required to transmit in their lists the value with and without improvements, separate lis's being made for each County and borough within the districts in'o which the Colony is divided for the purposes of tlie Act. Full power is conferred upon the valuers to mako the necessary enquiries for the purposes of rating, and a penalty of £50 can be inflicted upon any one neglecting to answer questions put by tb,e valuer or giving false or evasive answers to him. Should the valuer, be unablo to obtain information as to the ownership of any piece of land, ho is to enter it in the list, as " the owner," and he shall be liable by that designation for the tax. When the list -In prepared, it -shall be open for public inspection for at least 14 days, besides wliich, notice is also, co be posted to the taxpayers of the valuation made upon their respective properties but the omission to give any such notice does not invalidate tho valuation itself Ample opportunity is given for any ono whose property i 3 overrated, to have the valuation reduced. Every objection, however, must be sont in before tho fifteenth day of March in the year when the valuation is made, that is, about six weeks after tho valuation itself which is to be concluded by tho first day of February proximo. Any person wilfully making a false claim for exemption is to bo deemed guilty of a misdemeanour and punished accordingly. The objections to tho valuation are to be heard by an assessment court constituted under the Hating Act, 1876. Should the owner dispose of any property, he may apply to have his name removed from the rogister, but should he neglect to send notice of h?s haviifg parted with his interest, he is still deemed to be the owner, and rated accordingly. Fourteen days notice will be given of the date for payment of the tax* and if not paid, the deputy commissionermay directly aftertheexpiration of the notice proceed to recover the amount by law, power being given to distrain, in the words of act, "as if such owner was a tenant to the deputy commissioner nf such land for a term of years, and such land tax was rent reserved by such lease." In case the land assessed is held by a tenant, the commissioner can proceed against the tenant just as if he were the owner. Where a tenant is compelled, however, to pay the tax for which his landlord is liable, he may deduct the amount from the rent. An apportionment of the tax between the tenant and ownor is also made, namely, if the land is held on lease at a rent less than an amount equal to 5 per cent on the value to sell, the tax to be paid by the tenant shall be proportional between the rack-rent, "and the rent actually paid; rack-rent being deemed to be 5 per cent on the value to sell ; but if the ront paid by the tenant does not exceed the amount of the tax, he has to pay the whole tux. The Commissioner is to decide any dispute as to the tax between v landlord and his tenant. He also has power to S6ll the property if the land tax is three months in arrears, or register a notice of lien upon it, thus creating a first charge* on the interest of the owner. Any covenant or agreement made bes tween landlord and tenant, mortgager and mortgagee, or any other person, to evade payment of the tax, is declared null and void. The above are the most important

provisions of the Act, aud as it is a now in operatiou, and the valuation ? lists are being prepared, it would t be desirable for those -of our ] readers interested to keep by them i the resume we have given. Tt will, of course, be remembered that tlia c tax is only payable upon properties of the value of over £500; the levy ] being upon the value in excess of ' that 1