Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-06-18
The New Tax Law Of 1908.

The New Tax Law OF 1908
Far and away the most important act Of
this years Legislature, SO far as the per-
manent material interests Of the people Of
New Jersey are concerned, is the general
taxation law, prepared by the commission
on revision Of certain statutes, composed Of
Judge Dixon, chairman; Judge Fort and
Charles L. Corbin, of the law firm of Cor
bin & Corbin, Of Jersey City.
The work Of making this particular re-
vision was assigned to Mr.. Corbin, and he
performed the difficult task with the pains
taking thoroughness and accuracy for
which he is noted. He received some
assistance from Judge Dixon and Fort, par
ticularly from the first named gentleman,
who has made a special study of the sub
ject of taxation. His suggestions in help
ing to solve knotty points, in formulating
sound principles and in the elimination Of
unconstitutional and Pathological sections
were Of great value.
Mr.. William H. Corbin, the brother and
partner of Charles L., prepared the follow
ing carefully considered statement, describ-
ing the character and scope of the new law
and wherein it differs from the confused
and voluminous mass of enactments rela-
ting to taxation. This statement is COM
prehensive and authoritative, and may be
accepted as such by all taxpayers and tax
ing authorities:
THE REVISED TAX ACT OF 1903.
The general laws for taxation OF persons
and property in this State have not been
revised since 1916. The revisers of 1875
merely arranged the numerous acts in con-
venient order, but did not attempt any re-
casting of them The result is that the
tax act of 1916, with supplements passed
almost every year since that time, consti-
tutes the tax law at the present day.
"When the General Statutes were pub
lished in 1895 the volume OF this legisla-
ton comprised some six hundred sections,
and every year since then has added to the
mass of legislation. The acts have become
one vast wilderness of rules, exceptions,
directions, proceedings, repealers and re-
quirements that nobody pretends to under
stand.
''The revsers Of 1903 attacked this enor-
nous, undigested mass of legislation and
reported bill repeating it all and reduced
its substance to sixty-six sections, contained
in Chapter POS of the Laws of 1903, which
will take effect on December 20 next. 1t
is probably the most important act passed
by the Legislature, and perhaps the most
important one revised by the Commission
ers. Its first article provides for the one
dollar poll tax, the taxing of property at
true value. the defining Of the term tax
| ing district to conform to the terms used
in the Railroad Tax Law, and enumerates
the exemptions from taxation. These, by
the way, are becoming very formidable;
one-tenth of all the property in the State is
now exempt from taxation. Nothing
seems to be SO popular with the Legisla-
ture as an act to make new exemption Of
some class of persons from taxation. In
this regard the Commissioners have simply
compiled and condensed what they found
in the statutes. The article relating to the
assessment of real property establishes the
uniform rule that it shall be valued before
the third Monday of August and empowers
the State Board of Taxation to prescribe a
rule that the land shall be assessed separ.
ately from the buildings, and they may
require separate entry Of arabic lands,
meadows, pastures, woodlands, swamp
lands, etc; the assessors must also list
cemeteries, church property, public build
ings and other exempt property. Where
property is divided into lots and blocks
these designations must be used.
"a very important change is in the mat
ter of taxation of mortgages. No mort
gage on real property is to be listed fol
taxation, and no deduction from the
assessed value of the land is to be made or
account of any mortgage but the owner o.
the property who pays the tax on the LAND
is entitled to credit upon the interest for sc
much of the tax as is equal to the tax ratt
applied to the amount due on the mort
gage, except where the parties have other
wise agreed. This may lead to a little
trouble at first, but when once understood
will undoubtedly work with smoothness
for it will relieve the public authorities
from valuing anything except the lane
itself, and the division between mortgagol
and mortgage will be entirely in contro
of the parties.
Tangible personal property is to be as
sessed where found, as before, and othel
personal property in the district where thu
taxable inhabitant resides. Taxable per
sonal property of non-residents is to bt
assessed where found. Dog taxes iare re
tanned.
deductions for debts to residents Of
New Jersey are allowed as before, but
carefully guarded. Corporations are to be
/ DIS IcSIuGubS anu IuIlitUltttubS VI but
taxing district where their chief office is
located and their personal property is to be
taxed as that of an individual, except that
foreign corporations doing business here
are to be taxed with respect to the amount
of business done here.
National Bank stock is to be assessed
against the stockholders in the taxing dis
trict where they reside, and if they reside
out of the State, then in the taxing district
where the bank is located.
The tax duplicate must be made out by
the second Tuesday of August.
THE Assessors of the several taxing dis
tricts in each county constitute the County
Board of Assessors, who meet on the second
Tuesday of September at the Court House.
They are to prepare tables Of aggregates
and other papers, the blanks for which are
furnished by the State Board of Taxation
This, of course, will tend to uniformity
throughout the State in the forms.
"The Commissioners of Appeal are to
meet on the fourth Tuesday of October to
hear all written appeals In cities differ
ent time may be fixed. They may add
omitted parcels and raise assessments that
are too low and otherwise correct the
assessments The State Board Of Taxation
is continued with all its previous powers.
They may investigate and review the
action of local assessors, increase assess
ments and they must hear every taxpayer
who feels aggrieved and applies in time.
The Board Of Chosen Freeholders, or the
representatives of any taxing district, may
also appeal to them.
1.-THE thirty-eighth section provides that
no assessment shall hereafter be set aside
upon any certiorari, because the State,
county or local taxes are blended together,