The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-07
Cory OsLanas Explains the Internal rev
enue Law.

Cory OLanus furnishes the brooklyn Go-
ole with the following complete and lucid ex :.
position of the internal revenue law:
The law is very clear when you understand
The government expects every man to have
AT the same time it requires him to swear
to the fact.
A man that has NO income can swear that
be has, and if he pays the taxes on it, the
law don't insist on his taking the money
back.
The collector of revenue 10 authorized to
receive all he can get, and hand as much as
he can afford over to the government.
The assessors business lie to see that every
man assesses himself.
If citizen fails to assess himself in any
sum, the assessor 10 authorized to double the
amount and add one hundred per cent. to it.
If the assessor thinks q citizen has assessed
himself too much, the law requires the asses
sor to say nothing about il, for fear of hurting
the citizens feelings.
Revenue derived from all sources is taxa.
BILE; but man is not required to pay taxes
on what he borrows unless he pays it back,
which may be taken as an evidence of his
ability to support the government.
A man may deduct the rent of the house
he lives in. whether he pays his landlord or
not. That's the landlords business.
When a man owns the house he lives in. he
is not authorized to deduct the wages of his
servant girl from his taxable income.
When a man and wife have each sparate
incomes and don't live together, and the wife
boards with her aunt, who Is a widow and
has property of her own in government Sc
curi,ies, real estates or oil stocks, and the
husband is not in the habit Of paying his
wife's board or millinery bills, the tax for
which he is liable will depend upon the
amount of his revenue, if he has any. His
wife's aunt cannot be held liable for his in
come tax unless the man should die and
leave his property to her but should he die
and leave no property, then the assessor may
remit the aunt's income tax, except on what
she actually owns.
If man fails to make any return, the as
SCISSOR may make one for him. and allow him
any income he may think proper. In case
the man should not be in receipt of such in
come, the government is not bound to pay il
to him.
In making returns of revenue derived from
business transactions of a certain, uncertain
or any other character, the law requires a
business man to specifically state how much
he has made. and he can make as much as he
likes, but he need not deduct his losses.
amsfohsnt whhcc hhsss made afty thousand
dollars this year, on indigo, cannot deduc,
seventy five thousand dollars he lost, in lS49
on gumcowrie and beeswax.
Young men on salaries of twelve hundred
a year, who spend five thousand. are not re
CURED TO pay full tax on the latter amount
as the tax is a tax on income, not on outgo.
A young man who is entirely dependent or
his aged mother for support is not required
to pay her income tax.
Gentlemen who went to Canada to avoid
| the draft, and Were supported by their fonC
relations until the cruel war was over are no
liable to be taxed unless they return to th,
United States,
Orphans over twenty one years of age ar
liable to income tax.
These decisions are not from the commits
siouer, and are consequently reliable.