27. Mr. HALL-CALNEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, with a view to relieving the burden of Entertainments Duty on those entertainments which provide a large volume of employment and Income Tax in this country, he will investigate the possibility of obtaining revenue by levying a tax of some kind upon the large sums of money which are paid to American film companies for the rental of their films in this country?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Chamberlain)The Income Tax chargeable under the provisions of the existing Income Tax law in respect of profits arising in this country from foreign films is, of course, duly assessed and paid. I do not contemplate the inclusion in the present Finance Bill of any further provisions in this matter.
Sir JOHN WARD LAW-MILNEIs itnot the case that the present system of taxation allows a large number of American films to come in by paying merely the duty on the estimated value, whereas the actual takings on these films show that they are very much larger than the estimated value?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have been into this question several times, but I have not hitherto found any method of improving on the present system.