§ 81. Mr. NIELDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether any special instructions have been issued by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue for the speedy collection of Income Tax returns under Schedule D; whether he is aware that pressure is being put by the Commissioners through their officers on the public to make this return in the month of May, and, if so, what is the meaning for such pressure, seeing that partial exemption may be claimed up to the 30th September next; and whether he will give instructions to prevent the Inland Revenue Department so acting and causing inconvenience to the public?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe procedure with regard to the Income Tax returns under Schedule D has this year followed the ordinary and normal course. Under the Income Tax Acts every person chargeable is required to make a return of his profits or gains within twenty-one days from the date of issue of the precept of the District Commissioners of Taxes to the assessor. The forms of return for 1913–14 have been in course of issue in the ordinary way since about the last week in April, and I cannot interfere to prevent the local officials from carrying out their duties in accordance with the law.
§ Mr. NIELDIs it not the fact that last year, July was the month in which these supplementary notices went out?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI should like to have notice of that. So far as I know there has been no change at all from the conditions of last year.