With these words Sir George Maddex, in his Presidential Address, directed our attention to the present system of taxation of annuity funds. M. E. Ogborn, on 27 October 1947, touched on the subject of uneven incidence of tax upon differing funds, and some uneasiness about the consequences was manifest in the discussion on that paper.
‘Income tax is another subject on which it is difficult for me to speak freely, but I cannot refrain from noting that the general taxation position, as it now affects life assurance and pensions business, has given rise to serious anomalies: ...one has only to consider... that the terms quoted by offices for the purchase of life annuities vary to a quite remarkable extent, depending on the distribution of the company's business between various funds, as it exists at the moment, and the consequential incidence of tax;...’