Finance Act, 1917

Increase of rate of excess mineral rights duty.

21. Section forty-three of the principal Act (which relates to excess mineral rights duty) shall have effect as if eighty per cent. of the excess were substituted as the rate of duty for sixty per cent. for any accounting year commencing on or after the first day of January nineteen hundred and seventeen, or, in the case of an accounting year which commenced before that date but ends after that date, as if eighty per cent. were substituted for sixty per cent. as respects so much of the excess as may be apportioned under this Act to the part commencing on that date, and any additional duty may be recovered accordingly:

Provided that where it is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioners that the amount payable as rent under any lease or agreement for a lease for any accounting year in respect of which or any part of which excess mineral rights duty is payable at the rate of eighty per cent. is not greater than the average amount payable as rent for the two pre-war years the prices in which are selected by the taxpayer for the purpose of determining the pre-war rent values of the rent for the accounting year, or would be reduced below that amount by the payment of excess mineral rights duty, no excess mineral rights duty or, as the case may be, such an amount of excess mineral rights duty only as will reduce the amount payable as rent for the accounting year to the said average amount, shall be paid for that accounting year.