§ 64. Sir F. WISEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the balance of arrears of Income Tax and Super-tax to 31st January, 1923, and the amount collected of the arrears for previous years to date?
§ Mr. SNOWDENAs the answer is a long one, and contains a number of figures, I will, with the bon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ I regret that I am unable, without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour, to give particulars of the arrears of Income Tax outstanding at any date between the 1st December and the 31st March following, i.e., during the progress of the main collection of the year's tax. It is considered, however, that the arrears now outstanding in respect of previous years of assessment have fallen to a comparatively small sum.
§ The approximate amount of Super-tax estimated to be due to be paid but not paid at the 31st January, 1923, in respect of assessments for years prior to 1922–23 was £8,400,000. At the 31st January, 1924, the estimated collectible arrear in respect of these years was about £3,000,000. The two figures are not, however, strictly comparable, as the arrear at the later date includes considerable sums of duty assessed since the earlier date.
§ The estimated amount of collectible arrears at the 31st January, 1924, in respect of assessments for the year of assessment 1922–23 is, approximately, £4,000,000.