asked the Minister for Finance the yield from the taxation on tobacco in each of the years ended 31st March, 1968 and 1969.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Taxation Yields.
43.
The answer is in the form of a tabular statement which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
Tobacco.
|
Year ended 31 March |
Net receipts of Customs and Excise duties* |
|
£ |
|
|
1968 |
47,532,727 |
|
1969 |
47,999,400 |
|
(Provisional) |
* In addition, turnover tax is payable at the rate of 2½% on receipts from retail sales of tobacco products.
Has the actual revenue from tobacco in the financial year ended 31st March been less than the estimate?
No.
Is it not a fact that the estimate for the Budget was £49 million odd? The revenue was less than that.
I think the Deputy is confusing physical amounts and the increase in duty.
No—the revenue from it.
The revenue from it reached the estimate.
Still smoking and still smiling.
It is a very happy thing for a Minister for Finance to be able to operate a buoyant economy.
A smokescreen economy. We were told that in 1965.
44.
asked the Minister for Finance the amount collected to date in tax on newspapers and newsprint.
Turnover tax and wholesale tax are payable monthly in one sum by registered persons on their total receipts from sales of taxable goods to unregistered persons. No breakdown of the totals is required by reference to sales of particular commodities, and consequently it is not possible to state the amount of tax collected from sales of newspapers and newsprint.
Would the Minister consider abolishing this unjust tax on newspapers?
I certainly would not consider doing anything this year. The Deputy must realise that if we are to start exempting anything from turnover tax and wholesale tax—food is already exempt from wholesale tax—we should have to consider very carefully what priorities we would adopt.
Food first, from turnover tax, would you not?
45.
asked the Minister for Finance the amount of taxation collected on foodstuffs for (a) 1955-56 and (b) 1967-68.
Foodstuffs are among the articles exempted from wholesale tax.
Turnover tax is payable monthly in one sum by registered persons on their total receipts from sales of taxable goods to unregistered persons. No breakdown of the totals is required by reference to sales of particular commodities, and consequently it is not possible to state the amount of turnover tax collected from sales of foodstuffs.
The receipts from customs duty on imported foodstuffs in the years 1955-56 and 1967-68 were approximately as follows:—
1955-56: £0.5m.
1967-68: £1.6m.