XN000022-1989-07-19 — Page 20

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1989

SEPARATE TAXATION FOR MARRIED COUPLES WELCOMED

INTRODUCE

RESPECT

THE INLAND REVENUE (AMENDMENT) (NO.3) BILL 1989, WHICH SOUGHT TO

FOR

COUPLES IN MARRIED

OF SEPARATE TAXATION

IN THE LEGISLATIVE SALARIES TAX, WAS WELCOMED BY THE HON PETER POON COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY),

SAID

OVER THE PAST MARRIED COUPLES TAX BURDEN WHEN BOTH PARTNERS

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, MR POON FEW YEARS THERE HAD BEEN STRONG COMPLAINTS THAT MANY SUFFERED AN UNREASONABLE ADDITIONAL WERE SALARY EARNERS.

LONGER TOLERATE THE SAID MR POON,

FURTHERMORE, MANY WORKING WIVES COULD NO LACK OF PRIVACY OR INDEPENDENCE IN THEIR TAX AFFAIRS, CONVENER OF A LEGCO AD HOC GROUP FORMED TO STUDY THE BILL.

TO

ADDRESS GREAT DEAL ITS APPROACH IN

WAS GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE MR POON SAID THE BILL SUCH INEQUITY, HE PRAISED THE ADMINISTRATION FOR DOING A OF WORK AND RESEARCH AS WELL AS BEING REASONABLE IN GRANTING RELIEF IN APPROPRIATE CIRCUMSTANCES.

REPRESENTATIONS WHICH SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH KEY ISSUES, WHICH HAD A NUMBER OF COMMITTEE STAGE

SIX RECEIVED HE SAID THE AD HOC GROUP CONTAINED MANY HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS AND IT HAD THE ADMINISTRATION AND DISCUSSED THE VARIOUS BEEN AMICABLY RESOLVED. CONSEQUENTLY, AMENDMENTS WOULD BE MOVED TO IMPROVE THE BILL.

HAD BEEN IN REVIEWING THE BILL, MR POON SAID THE AD HOC GROUP

NO SYSTEM OF TAX COULD BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT THOUGH

IT TAXPAYER,

SHOULD BE AS EQUITABLE ABSOLUTELY FAIR TO EVERY POSSIBLE.

THEREFORE,

HE

SAID,

THE UNDER

BILL, WITH

AS

THE AMENDMENTS SALARY INCOME WAS TAXATION FOR SALARIES

PROPOSED, THE AIM WAS THAT NO MARRIED COUPLE WITH WORSE OFF THAN BEFORE THE CONCEPT OF SEPARATE TAX WAS MOOTED.

OF THE WORKING WIFE COMMENTING ON THE REQUEST FOR RETENTION

THE ADMINISTRATION INDICATED

THE POON SAID

THAT ALLOWANCE, MR

AN AS

INTERIM MEASURE BEFORE SEPARATE ALLOWANCE WAS GRANTED ONLY TAXATION OF MARRIED COUPLES FOR SALARIES TAX COULD BE INTRODUCED.

HE SAID: "WHILST WE ARE EARNING

SYMPATHETIC THAT SOME LOWER INCOME

BE COUPLES, BOTH

SALARIES. MAY

WORSE OFF UNDER SEPARATE NOT TAXATION WHEN THE WORKING WIFE ALLOWANCE IS ABOLISHED, THEY WOULD

OF INTRODUCTION

SUCH A WORKING WIFE BE WORSE OFF THAN BEFORE THE ALLOWANCE.

PERSONAL

IN INCREASING THE BASIC "PERHAPS, THE ANSWER LIES ALLOWANCE SO THAT RELATIVELY LOWER INCOME GROUPS CAN ALL BENEFIT.

[L

/THOUGH THE

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