§ 93. Mr. CHARLES ROBERTSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any persons engaged in the trade in alcoholic liquors are allowed to deduct from their Income Tax assessment contributions to associations or funds formed for the defence of the interests of their trade; and, if so, what is the total of the amounts so deducted?
§ Mr. BALDWINIn arriving at their liability to Income Tax the traders 3155 referred to deduct contributions to trade protection associations, but only under conditions which apply to all other traders, namely, that the association undertakes to pay Income Tax on the contributions received by it less any expenditure which would be allowable in computing the Income Tax liability of the individual members if the expenditure had been incurred directly by them. These arrangements are made with the various trades concerned in the interests of economy. They involve no sacrifice of revenue; they only obviate troublesome adjustments which would otherwise be necessary under the law in ascertaining the liability of the individual traders. It is not possible to state the total of the amounts deducted under these arrangements either generally or in the particular instance of the trade in alcoholic liquors.