Review of anniversary issues of Taxation

The tenth anniversary edition of Taxation in October 1937 started by congratulating itself on its increasing circulation influence and reputation while noting that it was fighting ‘fearlessly for taxpayers’ interests’ and that it had ‘led more than one first-class fight against what we regarded as the excesses of officialdom’ (some things never change then). Rather ominously the first page also included an advert for a book National Defence Contribution: Law and Practice.

Tax avoidance was a problem as illustrated by the decision in Paget v CIR (1937) 21 TC 677 that the proceeds of the sale of a right to receive income in the future could not be treated as income for the purposes of the Income Tax Acts. ‘If therefore a surtax payer is entitled to say £1 000 from such securities and instead of cashing the coupons sells them to a...