Standard гмье,
position
of Properly
T
Dedi
No, é oř 1901.
shall preserve and aid in preserving secrecy with regard to all matters relating to the affairs of any person that may come to his knowledge in the performance of his duties under this Ordinance, and shall not communicate any such matter to any person other than the person to whom such matter relates or his authorized representative, nor suffer or permit any person to have access to any records in the possession, custody or control of the Commissioner.
(2) Every pureon appointed under or employed in carrying out the provisions of this Ordinance, shall before acting under this Ordinance take and subscribe before a Justice of the Peace an oath of secrecy in the prescribed form.
(3) No person appointed under or employed in carry- ing out the provisions of this Ordinance shall be required to produce in any court any return, document, or assessment, or to divulge or communicate to any court any matter or thing coming under his notice in the performance of his duties under this Ordinance, except as may be necessary for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, the Commissioner or any officer of the Inland Revenue Department authorized by the Commissioner in that behalf may communicate any matter which comes to his knowledge, including a copy of any return, accounts or other document submitted to him in connection with this Ordinance-an
(a) to the Assessor appointed under Section 3 of the Rating Ordinance, 1901, to the Collector of Stamp Revenue, or to the Estate Duty Commissioner, or
() to the Income Tax Authority of any part of His Majesty'a dominions or of any place under His Majesty's protection or suzerainty to such an extent as the Commissioner may deem necessary to enable the correct relief to be given from income tax in that part or place in respect of the payment of tax under this Ordinance.
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, the Commissioner may permit the Auditor or any officer of the Department of the Auditor duly authorized by him in that behalf to have such access to any records or documents as may be necessary for the performance of his official duties. The Auditor or any officer authorized by him under this subsection shall be deemed to be a person employed in carrying out the provisions of this Ordinance for the purpose of subsection (2).
5. For the purpose of charging Tax under this Ordinance the standard rate for the year of assessment 1947/48 shall be ten per cent.
CHAPTER II. Property Tax,
6. Property tax shall be charged on and borne by the owner of any land and/or buildings wherever situate in the Colony at the standard rate on the rateable value of such land and/or buildings as assessed for rating purposes under the Rating Ordinance, 1901, less an allowance for repairs and outgoings of 20 per cent, of the said rateable value:
Provided that--
(i) For the year of assessment 1947/48 and any subse- quent year of assessment on the first day of which rents are restricted by reference to rents recoverable on or before 25th December, 1941, under the provi- sions of Proclamation No. 15 (Landlord and Tenant)
5
of 1945 or any proclamation or ordinance in amend- ment or replacement thereof, Property Tax shall be charged at one-half the standard rate;
(ii) Where no assessment has been made under the Eating Ordinance, 1901, the rateable value shall be deter- mined by the Assessor appointed under Section 3 of that Ordinance;
(iii) In the case of the New Territories other than New Kowloon, the rateable value for the purpose of Property Tax shall be taken at one-fourteenth of the value of the buildings as assessed under the Rating Ordinance, 1901;
(iv) Where the owner of the land is not the owner of the buildings thereon, a separate assessment shall be made for the land and for the buildings;
(v) Property tax shall not be charged on any land and/or buildings which are exempt from rates by virtue of section 39(2) of the Rating Ordinance, 1.901.
7. Property tax shall be payable in the first place by By whom the person, whether owner, agent or occupier, who pays the payable. asseased rates in respect of the land and/or buildings taxed. Where such payment is made by any person other than the owner of the property them the amount so paid by way of property tax shall be a debt due from the owner and recoverable as such from any rent or other moneys due to him. Where such payment is made by any person other than the owner of the land and buildings then the amount so paid by way of Property Tax shall be a debt due from the person assessed under section f.
CASH of
8. A proportionate refund of property tax may be Refund in made whenever any land and/or buildings is proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to have been unoccupied during one or more entire months of any year of assessment.
CHAPTER III.
Salaries and Annuities Taz.
dnoccupied property
Iruposition
9. Salaries and Annuities Tax shall be charged at the rates provided for in section 14 and subject to the allowances hereinafter provided on all income arising in or derived from d the Colony in respect of-
(a) any office or employment of profit; and
(b) any pension or annuity:
Provided that the following shall be exempt-- '
(1) The official emoluments received by the officer administering the Government;
(ii) the official emoluments of consuls, vice-cousuls and persons employed on the staff of any consulate, who are subjects or citizens of the State which they represent;
(i) any su received by way of commutation of pension or annuity and any sum, other than a pension, with- drawn from a provident fund;
(iv) the emoluments payable by the Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, His Majesty's Dominions and India to members of His Majesty's Forces and to persons in the permanent service of those Governments in the Colony in respect of their offices under those Governments;
of Salaries
Annuition Tax.