Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-12-09
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF
INTERNAL REVENUE.

The Report Of the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue is an interesting and important doc
ument. The Commissioner speaks in favor
able terms of the patience of the people under
the burdens of taxation, and shows from sta
tistics that the aggregate receipts have for the
past fiscal year been largely above those of the
previous year. The following statement ex-
hibits the amount Of receipts from internal
for 1863 (ten months). Sil,0O3, 1872; 1864, Sli6,-
S50672; 1865, S2l1 1,129,5 52S. The Commissioner
says the actual cost of assessing and collecting
the internal revenue will amount to two and
three uarters per cent of the receipts
The actual annual cost for the collection of
the customs amounts to three and one half per
cent. of the receipts, which is much below the
cost of collecting the customs in Great Britain
Among the articles from which the internal
revenue of the United States is derived il NAV
be interesting TO enumerate the following
Bank dividends, So, ,967, DOC; railroad dividends
and interest on bonds, S3,25S, ,4O4; insurance
companies, sl.726, ,l60; salaries of persons en-
ployed by the Government, 81, S36, 1873: re venue
stamps, S1l, ,162, 3O2-being more than double
that of the previous year; licenses, SI2 sos 69I;
incomes, S2O,567,3iO, or about six millions more
than in 1854.
OF The amount collected frsm incomes in 1863,
S2i9,33 were returned at five per cent. upon
incomes above ten thousand dollars, SIP, 40 at
three per cent. upon incomes of less than ten
thousand dollars, and S3,6 ,637 upon incomes from
United States securities. OF that collected in
1864, S6,913, S34 were returned at five per cent,
S7,93C,U7O at three per cent, and S75,373 at one
and one-half per cent. OF that collected in
1s65, SsOl,941 were returned at ten per cent.
S9,93i74s at five per cent, S9,697, ,2iG at three
per cent, and S133, ,4O2 at one and one-half per
cent.
The receipts from iron and steel, in the vari-
ous forms specifically named, were s9,2l9,7l3,
or nearly six millions more than the previous
year; from refined petroleum and coal oil,
S3,41.2l2, being an increase of about $4,000
over 1861; cigars S3C69 AS: tobacco SS,0l6, I9;
iernent.d ted liquors, S3657.O91, distilled spirits
80 or nearly thirteen millions less than
the previous year. The Commissioners de votes
considerable portion of his report to erniain
ing why the receipts from distilled spirits with
a tax of two dollars per gallon, are so much
less than they were when the tax was but sixty
cents per gallon.
The receipts for the current fiscal year are
estimated TO reach S272, ,OO0,oO0, or about sixty
millions more than last year. The Commits
sioner suggests an alteration in the mode of
appointing assistant assessors, and urges an
increase in their compensation, as we'll as in
that of the clerks employed IN the Internal
Revenue Bureau. An additional allowance
fol, office rent is also recommended. The Com
missioner suggests several amendments in rela-
ton to stamp duties, the duties of the Tax
Commissioners, and other changes in the law,
whereby doubtful points can be definitely
settled.