The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-25

on their farms released of the tax on the
| mortgage?
nection with the recording in the court
house?
j How much Will be the tax on $1,000
/ How much on farm worth $4,000?
This will not only be interesting to us,
/ but to a great many who have an imper-
| feet knowledge of the new system.
Yours truly,
The above letter to the State Jour-
nal was submitted to Samuel T.
Howe, of the state tax commission,
who has prepared the following very
comprehensive and interesting state
ment concerning the workings of the
new tax law:
To the Topeka State Journal:
Most of the questions asked by your
Auburn subscribers have been already
submitted to the tax commission, and
the answers are here restated, also an
SwerS to other questions which may be
of interest to the subscribers:
1. The law provides for the taxa
ton Of real estate at it's actual value in
money without any deduction on ac-
count of mortgage Indebtedness.
2. Mortgages and all other demands
secured by lien upon real estate are to
be assessed and taxed at their actual
value in money without any deduc-
tions whatever.
8. Moneys on hand or on deposit
are to be taxed on the full amount. No
deductions whatever are allowed.
4. All credits are taxable at their
actual value in money; credits include
every demand for money, labor or
other valuable thing, whether due or
to become due, but not secured by lien
on real; estate"
5. The actual value in money of de-
bits may be deducted from the aggre-
trof ia ootr Jo1 linz In ~f TO-
but debts can not be deducted from
moneys or mortgages. nor in fact,
from any kind of property other than
credits.
to the owner and may not be offset by
debts, yet a note secured by mort
gage is a debit which the maker
thereof may deduct from any credits
which he is required to list for assess
ment.
T. Property that the law requires to
be listed by the representative of any
owner instead of by the owner him.
self, must be listed in the township,
school district or city in which the
must be listed by the representative
in the name of the owner and entirely
separate from any property owned by
the representative.
8. All personal property is to be
listed and taxed in the township,
school district or city in which the
property was located On the 1st of
March, except as may be otherwise
specified.
8. Moneys, credits, mortgages, judg-
ments, tax sale certificates and all
similar interests are to be assessed in
the township, school district or city in
which the owner resides If they do not
pertain to a business located; if they
do pertain to business located, then
they are to be assessed at the place
where the business is located.
10. Animals and farming imple-
ments are to be assessed in the town
ship, school district or city where
usually kept. The question of location
for purposes of assessment. is one of
fact to be determined by evidence, if
there is doubt. A temporary absence
from the place where usually kept,
even If such absence shall cover the
list of March. will not make the prop
erty assessable at the temporary
place. For example: If a person
should own a sectiOn of land near
Auburn which section of land Is used
as a home ranch where cattle are
kept during the summer season and
to which the cattle are returned when
wintered away. such cattle would be
properly assessable at the home ranch,
although they might not have been
returned from their winter quarters to
the home ranch until after the 1st of
March. However, If for any reason
such animals we're temporarily outside
of the state on the LIST of March, then
they would be assessed in the town
ship, school district, or city where the
owner resided on the 1 st day of March
The foregoing rules of assessment
and taxation are clearly in accord
ance with the requirements of the
law.
There is no law in Kansas providing
for a tax on mortgages In the nature
of a recording charge.
1t is impossible to state the amount
at which a $1,000 mortgage would be
taxed, as that would depend entirely
upon the local tax levy; and the same
is true as to what would be the tax
on a farm worth $4,000.
new tax law makes no material
change in the law of assessment and
which was enacted in 1875. |
The new law is devoted almost solely |
to providing machinery for enforcing |
the old law. The result of such en- |
forcenent should be to reduce the |
burdens upon present tax payers, as |
it will undoubtedly get upon the roll |
much property which has never borne |
it's share of the burden OF taxation. No |
one can question the business of the |
intention of the law, which is, that all |
property, of whatever kind or charac-
ter without regard to ownership, |
shall bear it's just portion of the ex- |
pense attendant upon an economical |
a administration of the affairs of gov |
eminent.