Showing papers in "Economic Record in 1968"

The Tax Cut as an Anti‐Inflationary Measure*

Abstract: ‘…the Government is convinced that the right course at this juncture, and the best contribution it can make to the solution of the current problems of our economy, is a bold policy of reducing taxes—particularly those taxes which are levied directly upon individuals and upon business. We believe that this is the best form of assistance we can give in the attack on costs. Essentially, the cost problem is one to be solved by greater efforts and greater efficiency on the part of both labour and management. By reducing taxes and so making wages and profits more worth earning, the Government can provide an inducement to greater effort and greater efficiency…’ ‘…the Government proposes to reduce taxes up to the limit of budget capacity after making provision for essential expenditures… and it has devised the tax reductions in a way that will ensure the maximum incentive to effort while making whenever possible a direct reduction in costs. At the same time it has taken care to ensure that the Budget for the year will balance; for there could be no thought at a time like this of adding to the volume of spending power by the process of deficit-financing… As in last year's Budget, the greatest weight should be given to reductions of Income Tax on individuals. By so doing the benefits will spread most widely and the greatest number of people will receive a further incentive to work and to save. The Government has, however, explored the possibilities of reducing indirect taxation, and it is proposing some very useful reductions in that field. Some of these reductions will make an important direct contribution to the problem of reducing costs’