TNAG-1727-FCO40-2440-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 116

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Working Wife Allowance

Concerning taxation, I welcome that in in the next fiscal year, the, Government

Wife

will introduce a working wives allow-

Z

ance, even though the allowance is quite small. It is a measure in resp-

In fact, on

onse to public opinion.

opinionering bun

29th March 1985, we also had a debate on the draft estimates, I proposed

the same suggestion. At that time I argued that for many middle-income.

the couplis L groups where both husband and wife have to work, they have to engage domestic helpers or to request rela-

tives to take care of household

chores and their children.

This kind

of expenditure should be treated on

an the same basis as the indirect costs of a company, and could be deductible from taxable income. I propose that for working wives, half of their wages should be tax free. By doing so, we

are able to provide a tax concession Lives for the working wife, and at the same

knowledgi

time, we can encourage married women to work and to make use of their edu-

and make emtributions cation and skills to contribute to the community. Although it has taken four years for the financial secretary to implement this proposal, this belated

As atill tax concession should be welcomed.

can assure the Financial Secretary that, even though this tax concession is to be implemented it would only-red- uce-Government revenue by $340 million;

it and is therefore well worth implement-

л

still

I

ing. Also, at the same time, I would

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