Questionable details on declared personal income (1)

The report on a parliamentary question (Over 1,000 Earn Over €75,000 Annually, January 27) makes me wonder why parliamentarians ask questions that involve civil servants in so much unproductive work because it is so obvious a meaningful answer cannot be given.

I say so because the list requested by Anthony Agius Decelis (Labour) and laid on the Table of the House by the Finance Minister of 64,249 people who are said to have earned more than €15,000 (year unspecified) must have involved goodness knows how many man hours. Yet, the statistics given are of very questionable value.

This is because for some years now it has not been necessary for bank interest and local investment income which is subject to tax at source to be shown on one’s annual income tax return. Therefore, it is impossible for one’s real annual income to be determined from income tax returns. Thus, for example, the assertion that “in Malta and Gozo there were 1,190 persons who declared they earned more than €75,000 a year” is fallacious.

The same applies at the other end of the spectrum in regard to the statement that “there were 29,134 who earned between €15,000 and €20,000”as also to all the statistics for the rest of the other income brackets listed in the answer to the parliamentary question.

What a waste of taxpayers’ money!