Evening star., 1917-05-20
MUST SETTLE VERY SOON
INCOME TAX FOR 1876
Pending Provision in Revenue Bill
May Take Additional 33 1-3
Per Cent Of Amount. !
-..:S.:.sI

Within the next six weeks. that n
to say before June 30, residents of
washington subject to income tax will
have to settle with the collector Of in
tax for the calendar year 1916. notices
OF which amount are now coming
through the mail. Failure to pay
within the required time is penalixed
by fine.
These notices show that since the
previous year, 1915. the normal tax
rate has doubled, increasing from 1 to
per cent, with increases in some
about the same during 1916 he win
now pay twice as much as he did the
year before.
But wait minute: that is not all.
war tax bill goes through the Collector
OF internal revenue VIII immediately
nand you bill for an additional 90 u per
cent OF the amount Of the 1916 tax which
you must pay before September 15 next
rms retroactive provision 10 causing much
dissatisfaction and complaint, and will
be fought vigorously in the Senate.
Current Year Tax Due June, 1918.
OF course, this has mo- reference to
the tax for the current year, which viii
be due in J1bs1 1915, the figures Of
seands % and ieR sRos x.il Sy rsseS sssP' ao%a sna
aftHr q ;ao incomes low as s2.loo and
In thrashing but In the House the
prop proposed retroactive tag of ssh pv'
points of view were taken in the arRu-
ment. Mr.. Towner, for instance, urged
tnat retroactive tax was unjust be-
cause 1t applied to an income already
disposed of; it was laid on last years
income, which either had been spent
or invested. Many a man Will have
70 pay it out OF current income, thus
adding to the burden of his expenses
pointed out that the time is mast when
allowance could have been made To
meet the expense, as computations will
now De made to meet the next regular
The opposite view was presented bv
Mr Rainey in the House, who con-
tended that the main Justification for
US imposition was the nations need for
.ne sllg.Ooo:0Oo additional income the
retroactive tax is expected to produce,
conservation. unfairness. fnconven-
lence-these elements are all here"
Mr.. Ratney went on to say. This war
imposes hardships upon every one of
US. We conscript men who are hest
able to bear arms and we conscript the
incomes of the men who are able to
pay"
House Bill May Be Rewritten.
1t is impossible to predict what fate
the retroactive one-third.more pro-
vision will meet in the Senate. The
House has shown disposition, as was
freely predicted. to outrival the "horse
leech's daughter" when it came to cry.
ing for more. more on income taxa
alton, It is complained by some mem-
bers who favor easing up a bit on in.
comes and reaching out stronger in
some other directions. or placing more
OF the burden of revenue raising upon
the sale of bonds.
Chairman Simmons of the Senate
finance committee makes no bones OF
predicting that the House bill will be
practically rewritten by the Senate
committee and the Senate, but he does
not specify the features which may be
changed. The House committee on
ways and means. it will be remem-
bered, gave no hearings to the public
interested in the proposed taxation.
while the Senate finance COMMITTEES.
through hearings, was placed IN pos
session of great mass of practical
Information bearing upon the effect Of
the various schedules.