§ 37. Mrs. L. Jegerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working wives pay Surtax on the whole of their income; and how much it would cost to abolish aggregation of income for Surtax purposes.
§ Mr. SimonAbout 85,000 taking the wife's earned income as the top slice of the joint income. The cost of abolishing aggregation would be nearly £5 million in a full year on the assumption that the separation applied only to earned income.
§ Mrs. JegerWould not the Chancellor of the Exchequer enjoy the undying devotion of 85,000 women and their husbands by removing this unfair incidence of Income Tax?
§ Mr. SimonI certainly cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement, but for all I know he already enjoys the undying devotion of 85,000 women.
§ 38. Mrs. L. Jegerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much Income Tax would have to be paid by two unmarried doctors living together with a gross joint income of £4,000; and how much would be payable by two married doctors, presuming the expenses to be identical.
§ Mr. SimonAssuming that the income is all earned and that there are no dependants, the Income Tax and Surtax payable would be between £1,083 and £1,490 in the case of two single persons, and between £1,310 and £1,430 in the case of a married couple, depending on the amount earned by each person.
§ Mrs. JegerDo not these figures indicate that there is again an unfair incidence of taxation and Surtax? Would it not be very fitting if the right hon. bachelor the Chancellor of the Exchequer could go down to history as the Chancellor who removed the tax on marriage?