HC Deb 11 June 1947 vol 438 cc1211-2
The Solicitor-General

I beg to move, in page 35, line 8, to leave out from "period," to "and," in line 9.

This is a drafting Amendment. The words which the Amendment seeks to leave out am unnecessary. As it is, line 6 provides for deduction. The tax in question has to be met and only in the manner specified in the Subsection. Therefore, the words are superfluous.

Amendment agreed to.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill."

Mr. Stanley

It would be for the convenience of hon. Members on this side of the Committee if the learned Solicitor-General could give some explanation of the purposes of this Clause. I have found it very difficult to understand and I think a short explanation from him would be of great benefit to us.

The Solicitor-General

Clause 39 deals with the change-over period. The tax starts with the beginning of the year and transition provisions are necessary to deal with the position where one gets a chargeable accounting period a part of which falls in 1947 and a part in 1946. Roughly speaking, what is said is that one divides the two, one assesses the tax upon the old basis and upon the new basis equally, and one then makes an apportionment so as to attribute the 1947 period to the new basis of assessment and the 1946 period to the old basis of assessment. One then adds the two together, and the result gives one the amount on which the individual is charged in the chargeable accounting period—that is, partly 1947 and partly 1946. The other provisions are purely consequential upon that.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.