§ 69. Mr. MORGAN JONESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that certain inspectors of taxes are charging Income Tax upon theoretical rentals that are substantially higher than the actual rentals paid and disregard proof that that is so; and whether he will give instructions that the practice shall be discontinued?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given 708 to the hon. Member for the Bosworth Division of Leicester on the 24th July. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of that reply from which he will see that while in the case of properties let at a rack-rent fixed by agreement within the preceding seven years, the annual value is by law fixed at the amount of the rent, in other cases when property is not let at a rack-rent so fixed, it is necessary under the law to ascertain the rack-rent at which the property is worth to be let by the year. The rack-rental value in these cases would often be in excess or the actual rent and often has so been in the past.
§ 75. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware, in connection with the quinquennial Schedule A valuation, that inspectors of taxes are refusing to allow inspection or comparison of assessments except as regards the person's own individual assessment, notwithstanding the terms of the church-door notice No. 90 N.A. pursuant to Section 134a of the Income Tax Act, 1918, which provides that assessments can be inspected by any person assessed therein or by any owner or other person in respect of rents of any lands included in such assessments under Schedule A, although he is not the owner thereof; and whether he will take steps to see that the public are allowed to receive the contemplated facilities to inspect assessments comparable to their own and in the immediate vicinity?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on this subject to the hon. Member for Mid-Bedford on the 28th May. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of that reply.
§ Sir W. DAVISONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the people are not able to get the assessments of adjoining houses which he said would be the basis on which they could assure themselves that they would be correctly assessed, and how does he propose to deal with this difficulty?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe best way to find out is to ascertain what the adjoining houses are let for.
§ Sir W. DAVISONWhy should there be anything confidential about the tenants of a row of houses knowing what their next door neighbours are paying?