§ 50. Mr. BARCLAYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can supply to this House any particulars as to the cost of the collection of Income Tax on wages, and the percentage which this forms of the total revenue so raised?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Snowden)The percentage cost of collection from the small taxpayer is always necessarily high. It tends to increase as the rate of tax is lowered. I regret that I have no materials for isolating the percentage cost of collection of Income Tax as it affects ways in particular. If the hon. Member has specially in mind the percentage cost of collection from those wage-earners who are assessed quarterly, this was estimated for the year 1922–23 as in the neighbourhood of 16 per cent. It has since substantially increased owing to the combined effect of the fall in wages and the fall in the rate of tax.
§ 51. Major WHELERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of property tax collected from land under Schedules A and B during the year 1921–22?
§ Mr. SNOWDENI regret that this information is not available as, under the present system of graduation and differentiation of the Income Tax, wall personal allowances, deductions and reliefs appurtenant, not to the various sources of income charged under each Schedule, but to the total income of the taxpayer, the total yield cannot be divided between the respective Schedules. A full explanation of the difficulties involved will be found on page 115 of the 65th Inland Revenue Report. The amounts of actual income assessed under Schedules A and B, respectively, during the year 1921–22 were as follow:
| United Kingdom. | |
| £ | |
| Schedule A (Ownership of Lands, Houses, etc.) | 183,158,769 |
| Schedule B (Occupation of Lands, etc.) | 55,977,917 |
§ Major WHELERMay I take it from the right hon. Gentleman that it is a very considerable sum?
§ Mr. SNOWDENIt is. Under Schedule A it is about £183,000,000, and under Schedule B about £56,000,000.
§ Major WHELERWill the right hon. Gentleman take steps to see that the Government Leaflet No. 70, which says, amongst other things, that the landlords will pay no tax on what they receive from the people's land, is withdrawn at once?
§ Mr. SNOWDENI am afraid that I do not know anything about this matter.
§ Major WHELERThis leaflet, No. 70, is published by the Labour party. It says, "They have no tax to pay on what they draw from the people's land."
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe cannot go into questions of propaganda.
§ Major WHELERWhen a statement is proved to be incorrect by the right hon. Gentleman's own showing, am I not entitled to ask him to withdraw this leaflet?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt is evidently not an official document, and surely the answer just received is sufficient.
§ Mr. JAMES HOPEWould it not be in order to ask the right hon. Gentleman if he dissociates himself from this leaflet?
§ Mr. SPEAKEROh, no; parties are prolific in propaganda just now.