asked the Minister for Finance the total amount received in taxation per head of population for the year 1973-74.
9.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Taxation Figures.
8.
asked the Minister for Finance the estimated amount per head of the population to be raised by way of taxation for the transitional financial period of 1974; and the actual figure for the same nine month period in 1973.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.
The provisional estimate of total tax per head of the population for 1973-74 is £278. The corresponding figures for the nine months periods 1st April to 31st December, 1974, are estimated at £196 and £225 respectively.
Total taxation, which is customarily defined as in the national accounts, comprises taxes on income, including social insurance contributions, taxes on expenditure, including rates, and taxes on capital.
Did the Minister say that the actual amount for the year 1973-74 was £278?
That is correct.
Does the Minister recall that last year, when this question was asked as to the estimated tax on the population, his answer was £265 which was then £15 per head of the population more than the previous year?
That is entirely wrong.
Is the Minister not aware that tax is becoming too much of a burden for many people to bear, that instead of being an increase of £15 on the previous year it works out at something like an increase of £35 in taxation for every man, woman and child of the population?
They earned more.
The Deputy knows from my budget statement that as a consequence of the reliefs given in income tax this year some 60,000 taxpayers will be removed from the income tax net altogether.
And back in again.
The main reason why revenue was buoyant last year was due to increase in the duty on beer, spirits and tobacco and because VAT and income tax buoyancy, because of increased incomes which all sections of the community enjoyed last year, meant that the yield from these increased incomes produced greater revenue.
They were also increased of course.