§ Mr. LENNOX-BOYDasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether there is any difference of opinion in different localities in respect of the deductions allowed by the appropriate General Commissioners of Income Tax in assessing local rates for wear-and-tear allowances in respect of particular classes of machinery; and, if so, whether he will state what these differences are and on what they are based?
§ Mr. W. S. MORRISONUnder the provisions of the Income Tax Acts the allowance for wear and tear of plant and machinery is to be such as the Commissioners having jurisdiction in the matter may consider just and reasonable. In practice a very large measure of uniformity is attained. In the case of many trades, as a result of negotiations between representatives of the trade and the Board of Inland Revenue, standard rates of allowance for particular classes 581W of plant and machinery have been agreed and it is found that, in such cases, the Commissioners adopt the agreed rates. Furthermore, there is a provision in the Acts enabling the question of the rate to be allowed in a particular trade to be determined by the Board of Referees an application being made on behalf of a considerable number of persons engaged in the trade.