I move for permission to bring in this Bill—"The Double Taxation (Relief) Bill, 1923; an Act to authorise the making arrangements with the Government of Great Britain for granting relief from double taxation wherever there is a charge both to a Free State tax and to a corresponding British tax in respect of the same subject matter."
It is a Bill which will enable us to make necessary arrangements so that persons having investments in England and living in Ireland, or persons living in England and having investments in Ireland, would not be subject to double income tax. In the absence of any arrangements such as it will be necessary to make, people in both places would be mulcted. I will have further information in connection with it on the Second Reading. There are other matters also, such as stamps. A cheque, in the absence of an arrangement of this sort, going from Ireland across the water would be subject to the ordinary stamp charge there as well as here, and vice versa; a cheque coming from England over here would suffer the same cost. It is to regularise these things and to make the necessary arrangements and accommodation, so that we deal fairly with all parties, that it is proposed to bring in this Bill. It would not have been rushed but that it is necessary to get it through before the 31st March, and as the Dáil is adjourning over next week, it would enable us, I think, to get through in the following week, so accordingly I move for permission to bring it in.