26. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the advisability of collecting the Property Tax and Income Tax by means of two or more instalments; whether he is aware that, owing to recent increases in these taxes, the necessity to pay them in a lump sum causes special hardship to those whose income is received in instalments, and especially to owners of house property; and whether he proposes to grant any relief in this respect?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. McKenna)I think my hon. Friend is under a misapprehension. As a general rule, Property Tax is paid by deduction and the hardship referred to by my hon. Friend does not arise.
§ 31. Sir W. BULLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can see his way to allow all Income Tax to be paid quarterly, seeing that in many cases the concession to be allowed to pay it half-yearly does not give much relief in cases where the tax payable is greatly increased?
§ Mr. McKENNAI am not sure that I understand the hon. Member's question. Does he mean the first payment to be made in the last quarter of the year? If so, the proposal would amount to a postponement of payment of the tax for at least nine months, a course which I could not recommend to Parliament.
§ 30. Sir W. BULLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he intends to deal with overtime, inasmuch as a clerk or works foreman has a standing wage but does not get overtime, although he is paid during his holidays and is sometimes given a bonus to compensate him for overtime worked, seeing that he has to pay Income Tax on all he receives, whilst the workman earning over £2 10s. a week is only to be charged on his standard weekly wage; is he aware that some workmen with overtime are now earning from £7 to £9 a week, which is far higher pay than the total receipts of the clerk or foreman; and will he consider how to equalise the charges on these two classes of persons?
§ Mr. McKENNAIt is proposed that the assessment to Income Tax of a workman, as in the case of all other taxpayers, should include the whole of his actual income. The suggested discrepancy would not therefore arise.