THE DEATH DUTIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 359, 9 April 1910, Page 5

THE DEATH DUTIES

f j DR. FINDLAY REPLIES. Br Telegraph.—Press' As»oci''t" - . | Wellington, Friday. ~ In a letter to the Press, Mr. A. R. J i Barclay, of Dimedin, has drawn atten- . | tion to what he considers an anomaly . in the charge levied on small estates ,' under the Death Duties Act of last sesf sion. As a case in point, he mentioned s that an old man died at Roslvn last i month and left an estate of t\ie value | of £92. lie bequeathed to three friends j £55, the medical and funeral expenses were ,€.13 as fid, tombstone and grave i £lO, and the balance amounted to €fiß ! 14s 6d. Under the old Act no duty j would have been payable on the estate. ' Under the Act of last year the death I duty is 10 per cent., or £7 17s 3d. ' In justification of the alteration of the law made l>v last year's Act, the j Hon. Dr. Findlay, Attorney .General, states that, under the new system substantial relief is given to estates under ; £IOOO going to near relatives of a de- . ceased person. The exemption from duf v -was increased from €IOO to €SOO. and a reduced duty is ehanred on estate- ; between €SOO and €,IOOO. Substantial increases were onlv made on large rotates. As very areat relief was trivon | in the ease of estates cointr to su«mv! dependents, it is only rieht. in Dr. Fiivl- - opinion, that stransrers in blood ! receivins? benefits from an estate should i pay an increased rate, and in the j referred to bv Mr. Barrlav all the bej quests were to strangers, and that, and 1 that alone, was why any duty was nnvI able.