The Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1882-1883, 1883-10-18
1rs I'M french sys.em u Taxation.


Tho tax officers In Franco collect tho
necessary data for tie preparation Of
tho tax rolls some time In January.
About March !. every occupant Of
koiise Or apartment resolves notice that
his taxes for the coming year are ns.
sessed at such figure, the amount OF
bis personal tak. and his license. il any.
being separately speciiicd II he has
any objection 70 make. an opportunity
IL given him OF doing So; Toward the
end OF March each one. Is notified that
he must commence parihk his ta>es
within eight days from. tile sscyile Of
such notice. Tho taxes may be paid In
monthly installments II the taxpayer so
desires. and wa need hardly say that
the mass OF the psopls are glad %
profit by this beneicent provision Of tho
law,
For tho cunvenicnce o. payment tho
city Ii d vided into numerous tax dis
tricts. and the y.tem is 80 por ect that
payment may Usually be nnde and re-.
ceipt obtained Within Ave minutes alter
entering tho o,iicef and. Of course. 4
Tho taxpa or pre- crs to do 40, be can
psy tha.who!s of his stsxds t,r TIE ,eas
At Once or in omi'snnnal or qusrteriy
psyments.
: Ike theory Which undcrliss the
French system Of taxation IL that tho
rent or rental vslue Of the prctiises oc.
cupied by the taxpayer o. residence
IL proportioued tD tho amount Of Ills
property. and this Is, general y spcaI.
Ing. q reasonable sumption. At all
events. II POSSESSES his great advant-
age. namely, that the rent payable by
every citizen may be read. ly ssoertained.
while the amount Of his means can not.
II no chooses to conceal II. Under this
system every inhabitant Of the city, ex.
ccpt the very poor. 10 obliged to, con.
tribute his share toward tho expenses
of the Government, and consequently
such share Is proportiOnately moderate.
A few figures will serve to show how
heavy Is the bu den imposed upon an
honest tn payer In New York. as com
pared with that which Is borne b q man
possessed Of the same means In Paris.
Let Us assume that the property OF sue
an individual, II oht o business
consists Of personal estate, fuch as rail-.
way bonds and stocks OF the value of
$4,000. that the net annual income
there rom Is S5.00D. and that the rent
paid by such an individual amounts to
onc.fiith o. his income. nal to ~, 900.
or that, berg engaged n business. his
average annual pro Is enable him tO
occupy an apartment OF the ssmo
rental value. In Paris the party
In question would have TO pa
rs contributions mobiiieres about 100
francs, or. say. $50. or. including
hb door and window tax which he pays
through bis landlord. say, ego II en-
gagged in business or practicin2 pro.
fession he would hare % pa. q license
tax or pgtehie, Nhlch var es from 100
to 1000 francs. I've arc speaking. OF
course, Of the rrass Of the people. and
not of merchants or eomnanieI occupy.
ing very extensive and costly premis s.
whose pdtente may run up TO several
thousand frnn =, md whose taxes sro
pa, able out OF the profits Of their rus
Iness. and not out OF the .rcome de,
rived from their investments such
householder thus paws on On average,
say 1000 francs a. the total Of his di.
sect taxes. Surprising him to pa 1000
fran,s directly in the sha Q OF octroi
duties on tho provisions cons med by
himself anil amily in the course OF the
year (and this allowance We consider
q very liberia one, ,, we lind the total
amount o. his annu.l taxes d rect ani
ind, sct. to be- say 900 francs. or
s4OO; while in New York person SIM
iliarly situated would have to pay II he
made IN honest and full declaration
Of his property about 2 g-ln per cent
on the principal. making. In the present
case. his tax amount 10 s2,6Dh. ,Lten
II We assume that the ar san rays an
addit. onal 800 per year on On q erage
In the way Of succession AMI other Z.
cepti0nal taxes, his contribut ons to
expenses OF the Government would be
ut the utmost only SjOO, in place 0, tho
$500 evicd upon the unfortunate New
Yorker. y tost.