asked the Minister for Finance the original estimated cost of collecting the turnover tax expressed as a percentage of the amount raised by this tax per annum; and the actual cost similarly expressed for each of the years that the tax has been in operation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Collection of Turnover Tax.
41.
The original estimate was that the cost of administering the turnover tax would be less than one per cent of the yield.
The percentage cost of collecting the tax in each of the three full years in which it has been operating was: 1964-65, 0.74 per cent; 1965-66, 0.70 per cent; 1966-67, 0.67 per cent.
Is there any reference by the Minister for Finance in this estimate of the burden of costs which have to be carried by every shopkeeper who has to prepare books in order to facilitate the collecting of the tax? Is not all the collection done by the unfortunate individual shopkeeper who has, to my certain knowledge in 70 per cent of the cases, to employ extra staff?
He has to employ an accountant.
He is allowed to charge those costs against his income tax.