Abstract
IT was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House of Commons on August 13 that newspapers, books and periodicals are to be exempt from the proposed purchase tax. He stated that he feels it would not be in the public interest at this time of war that there should be any decrease in the circulation of newspapers or any diminution of the services they provide for the public. This announcement will undoubtedly give satisfaction to all scientific workers. There is no doubt, however, as pointed out in the leading article entitled “Books in Wartime”in NATURE of May 11, p. 719, that this welcome decision is of much greater significance than would seem superficially. Sir Kingsley Wood added that books are to be exempt from the tax “at least for the present”. It is to be hoped that, for the important reasons set out in the above-mentioned article, the future will not bring any significant change in this new policy.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
The Purchase Tax and Literature. Nature 146, 225 (1940). https://doi.org/10.1038/146225b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/146225b0