48
THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — UNITED KINGDOM
The gross income and income on which tax was received in 1917-18 were distributed as follows : —
Profits from the ownership of Lands .... ,, ,, Houses
,, ,, Other property
Profits from the occupation of lands .... ,, British and other Government securities . Profits from businesses, concerns, professions, em- ployments (except those of a public nature), and
certain interest 1,285, 234,191
Salaries of Government, Corporation, and Public
Company officials 265,641,713
Gross income
£
52,000,000
235,051,205
1,296,300
51,230,000
76,612,502
Income taxed £
172,583,580
16,441,034 66,068,602
682,053,924 146,S35,142
Total
1,967,065,911 1,083,9S2,2S2
Estimated gross income in 1918-19: profits from lands, &c, 290,000, 0001. ; occupation of lands, 100,200,000*. ; securities, 80,000,000*. ; businesses, &c, 1,494,800,000*. ; salaries, 325,000,000*. ; total, 2,290,000,000*.
The gross income from the ownership of land and houses in 1917-18 was distributed as follows : —
— England Scotland i Ireland
United Kingdom
£
Land . 36,710,000
Houses . . . | 207,495,090
£ £
5,590,000 9,700,000 21,892,900 5,663,305
i
52,000,000 235.051,205
The amount of super-tax received was 2,891,345*. in 1910-11 ; 3,018,388*. in 1911-12; 3,599,7J6*. in 1912-13 ; 3,339,008*. in 1913-14; 10,121,023*. in 1914-15; 16,787,654*. in 1915-16; 19,140,411*. in 1916-17 ; 23,278,704*. in 1917-18 ; 35,560,083*. in 1918-19 ; 42,405,000*. in 1919-20, The esti- mated aggregate income of the super-tax payers in 1918-19 was 340,000,000*., and the estimated number of persons chargeable, 48,000. Super-tax is payable by persons with incomes exceeding 2,000*. per year (prior to 1918-19 3,000*. per year, and in 1918-19 and 1919-20, 2,500*. per year).
In accordance with various Acts passed between 1888 and 1911, there are paid out of the Consolidated Fund to the Local Taxation Accounts of England, Scotland, and Ireland sums equivalent to the proceeds (in some cases, of the year 1908-9, and in other cases of the current year) of certain excise licence duties, part of the beer and spirit duties, and part of the pro- bate and estate duties. Certain other grants are also payable.
The payments actually made to the Local Taxation Accounts in 1919-20 are given as follows : —
On account
— of beer and
spirit duties
On account
of licence
duties
On account
of estate
duties
Other
grants, &c.
Total
Payments to : £ England . . . 1,107,260 Scotland. . . 162,248 Ireland . . . ! 124,567
£
2,071,060 391,226 210,746
£
4,676,154
641,378 3S4.866
£
40,000 98,428 848,208
£
7,894,474 1,283,280 1,668,887
Total payments . 1.384,075
2,673,032
5,702,398
986. 63(i
10.746.141
III. National Debt. Borrowing by the State on the security of taxes was practised in Norman times, but the National Debt really dates from the time of William HI. The acknowledged debt in 1689 was about 664,000*., on which the annual charge for interest and management was only 40,000*. At various subsequent dates the amounts were as follows (including the Irish debt throughout) : —