§ MR. BOTTOMLEY (Hackney, S.)I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that many large shareholders in South African mining companies are in the habit of altering their addresses upon the share registers, prior to the declaration of dividends, to make it appear that they are resident in South Africa, for the purpose of escaping liability for income-tax upon such dividends; and whether he will give directions to the income-tax collectors to make inquiries from the secretaries of South African mining companies, and report the result of such inquiries to the House.
§ MR. ASQUITH; The Board of Inland Revenue have no knowledge of such a practice. The tax upon the profits of 1407 companies, of which the seat of direction and the register of shareholders are situated in the United Kingdom, is assessed upon the company, and not upon individual shareholders. The addresses of the shareholders in these companies are therefore not of interest to the collectors of income-tax.