asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider raising the maximum monthly turnover tax figure of £800 to at least £1,500, as small shopkeepers are finding it extremely difficult to keep a record of sales and to meet this tax on a monthly basis.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turnover Tax.
30.
The monthly figure for the purposes the Deputy has in mind is £750, not £800. I do not propose to alter this figure nor do I accept that small shopkeepers find it difficult to keep records of their sales or to meet their tax liability on a monthly basis.
Would the Minister not agree that, if these small business people were allowed to pay this tax at source, they would be relieved of a great deal of trouble? They find it very difficult to keep records. I think the revenue would not suffer if they were to pay this tax at source.
This £750 was originally introduced as a major concession. If we were to increase it to £1,500 it would, I think, interfere very greatly with the operation of the tax. Indeed, so far from making any change in an upward direction, I would be inclined to go the other way—to tighten the net rather than loosen it.