(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Finance the estimated average income of the full time farmers among the 44,194 in the income tax net on accounts in 1983-84.
74.
Written Answers. - Farmers' Income and Tax Yield.
73.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Finance the actual average income found on accounts for the full time farmers among the 44,194 in the income tax net on accounts in 1983-84.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together.
Statistics are not available which would enable the information requested by the Deputy to be given. The Deputy may, however, be interested in the statistics contained in tables 87 and 88 of the annual report of the Revenue Commissioners for the year ended 31 December 1982 which indicate, inter alia, the amount of gross income assessed for the years 1980-81 and 1981-82 in the case of farmers, horticuturalists and agricultural contractors. Copies of the report are available in the Library.
75.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Finance the estimated average tax yield for the full time farmers among the 44,194 in the income tax net on accounts for the year 1983-84.
76.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Finance the actual average tax yield from the group of full time farmers among the 44,194 in the income tax net on accounts for the year 1983-84.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 75 and 76 together.
The average tax now estimated to be ultimately payable by full time farmers in respect of 1982-83 assessment, the latest year for which such figures are available, is £570. The actual average tax paid in respect of those assessments up to 31 May 1984 the latest date for which this information is available, is estimated at £430.
Notes:
1. The figure of 44,194 quoted by the Deputy relates to all farmers who were chargeable to tax on their farming profits in 1982-83.
2. All farmers within the charge to tax have been assessable on an accounts basis since 1980-81. Prior to that an optional notional basis of assessment was available.
3. The amount of tax ultimately payable for 1982-83 is the amount now estimated to be payable whether actually collected in that year or later.
The tax is, in general, paid in consequence of assessments to income tax made by the inspector of taxes. As the amounts so assessed are subject to the statutory appeal process there frequently are substantial variations between the amounts assessed and the amounts finally determined on appeal. (The position may be further complicated by substantial claims for, e.g. stock relief and capital allowances of which notice had not been received when the initial assessments were being made). Only when the appeals are finally settled will the figures for tax ultimately payable for 1982-83 emerge.
4. The figure of £570 is arrived at by dividing the total tax estimated to be ultimately due from full time farmers by the number of those farmers on record for the year of assessment 1982-83. The figure of £430 for actual average tax paid is arrived at by a similar calculation based on the tax actually paid by those farmers.
5. Income tax on farming profits is collected with schedule D tax generally and because of this it cannot be separately distinguished. Accordingly all figures for tax payments by farmers are estimated.
77.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Finance if the Revenue Commissioners' data on farm income agrees with the data in the farm management survey for 1983 published by An Foras Talúntais and with farm income figures published by the Central Statistics Office; and if not if he will explain any discrepancy.
The Revenue Commissioners do not compile data on actual farm incomes. It is not possible, therefore, to draw meaningful comparisons between income assessed by the Revenue Commissioners in the course of tax collection and income data compiled by An Foras Talúntais and the Central Statistics Office for other purposes.
78.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Finance the total acreage farmed by full time farmers on accounts in 1983-84.
79.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Finance the income per acre and the income tax yield per acre in 1983-84 of those full time farmers on accounts.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together. Income tax on farming profits has never been assessed by reference to the acreage of the land farmed. Accordingly it is not possible to provide the information sought by the Deputy.
80.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Finance the number of full time farmers on accounts who had no taxable income for 1983-84.
The information requested is not available. As revenue records do not distinguish between liable and non-liable cases it is not possible to indicate how many full time farmers had no taxable incomes without examining each individual case assessed. Such an examination, which would involve more than 36,000 cases, could not be carried out without the expenditure of undue time and resources.