The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-30

TAXES PROVE
MINE OF WEALTH.
County Treasurer Hanke Finds That
Collection Of Special Revenue In
wolves Deal of Work for His Office
for Which He Gets No Compensation
Law to Be Amended.

Inheritance, taxes to the amount of
$103,037.7S have been turned over to
the state treasurer during the year
1906 from Hennepin county and it is
believed that this amount is the larg-
est county income under the inheritance
tax law. The amount was paid by
forty three heirs and represents taxes
accruing on eighteen Hennepin county
estates ...
The fact that such an enormous sun,
has been paid from Hennepin county as
a result of the introduction of the
inheritance tax will undoubtedly be
used as an argument to get the legis-
lature to pass some provision re-
munerating the county for the work
which is done by county officials in
collecting the tax and turning it over
to the state. According to H. G.
Hanke, county treasurer, it will require
practically the entire time of one man
next year to care for the added burden
which has been imposed upon the
treasurer s office by the inheritance
tax law. 1t is to pay the county for
this work of collecting the states tax
that the proposed legislation is to be
introduced at the next legislative
session.
Hanke, Discusses Law.
In speaking of the Inheritance task
and the way it affects the county treas
urer's office, Mr.. Hanke said: ''Tbe
law adds an enormous work to the
office of the county treasurer and for
the work thus required the county gets
no pay. Managers of safety deposit
vaults are required to notify the coun-
to be opened by the executor or adj
ministrator of an estate and he must
list the contents. Banks must notify
the treasurer of accounts standing in
the name of the deceased and the
treasurer must issue written order
before the accounts can be transferred
to the executor or administrator.
'The law also requires the treas
urer to attend all appraisement meet
ings and when the inheritance tax is
finally paid on, the order of the Judge
OF probate, the treasurer must issue
two receipts in full and fill out a stub
for each heir as the tax is collected
on each inheritance Of more than
$4,000 instead Of the entire estate. It
is also necessary for the treasurer to
keep a separate set of books for the
inheritance account for there is no pro-
vision In the present law for paying
the account out on warrants issued
by the county auditor and it must
be directly paid to the state treasurer
on warrants issued by the state auditor.
Process Is Tedious.
"In add ton to the eighteen estates
in Hennepin county upon which in
heritance taxes have been paid, it must
be remembered that there are many
estates In process Of settlement. The
treasurer must attend all appraisement
meetings and be present where safety
boxes are opened. :, In many cases no
tax is paid but it cannot be asccr.
tanned whether there is anything com
ing to the state until these processes
are gone thru with. Something Ger
tainly should be done by the state
legislature to reimburse the county for
the work put in by county officials in
collecting the Inheritance taxi :
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