§ 67. Mr. MANDERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the possibility of including with demand notes for Income Tax a statement as to the proportion required on account of armaments, past, present and future, with a view to impressing on the taxpayer at this time the burden involved?
§ Mr. MANDERDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think it would be a good thing 2047 if the taxpayer were made to realise that 14s. out of every 20s. went on past or future wars?
§ 73. Mr. COCKSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the injury to Christmas trade and business generally, and of the hardship to individual taxpayers, caused by the impending demand in January for the payment of 75 per cent. of Income Tax; and whether he will reconsider his decision and take steps to enable taxpayers to pay the first three-quarters Income Tax in six monthly instalments?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe hon. Member's proposal for spreading the three-quarters instalment of Income Tax could not possibly be considered, for it would completely destroy the balance of this year's Budget. Far from countenancing any delay in payment of the Income Tax such as the hon. Member suggests, I must emphasise the importance of balancing the National Finances, and repeat the appeal that has already been made to taxpayers to help in this respect by making a special effort this year to pay early. As regards cases of hardship, where the taxpayer cannot find immediately the whole sum that is due, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of the 19th November to the hon. and gallant Member for St. Albans (Lieut.-Colonel Fremantle), in which I explained that in such cases Collectors of Taxes have been authorised to accept a payment on account in January provided the taxpayer undertakes to pay the whole of the balance by the end of the first week in March without further application.
§ Mr. COCKSCould not the right hon. Gentleman make a special appeal to employers to advance the money to their employés to help them to pay the tax?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have already made such an appeal both in public speech and in answer to a question in the House.
Lieut.-Colonel MOOREWill three-quarters of the Parliamentary salary of Members of Parliament he paid on the 1st of January?
§ 74. Mr. POTTERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that 2048 hardship is caused to the practising members of the accountancy profession by ex-officers of the Board of Inland Revenue acting as free Income Tax advisers to the public through certain daily newspapers; and if he will take steps with a view to such practices being discontinued by such persons in receipt of a Government pension?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have no knowledge of any ex-officer of the Inland Revenue in receipt of a pension being employed in the manner stated in the question, but in any event I have no power to take the steps suggested in the second part of the question.