The Robesonian., 1917-12-24
FIGURING INCOME TAX

The Government Will Send Out
Men to Help-New Exemptions
will Add Thousands to Number
Of Income Tax Payers in This
District.
You won't have to figure out your
own income tax all by yourself here
after. The government is going to
send out men to help you. It will be
up to you to hunt up these men, who
will be sent into every countyseat
town, and some other, towns besides,
to meet the people. Postmasters,
bankers and newspapers will be able
totell you when the governments in
come tax man will be around, and
where to find him. He will answer
your questions, swear you to the re-
turn, take your money, and remove
/ the wrinkles from your brow. Re
turns of income for 1917 must be made
! between January 1 and March 1, 1918.
The government recognizes" col
! lector of internal revenue J. W. Bail
! ey said the other day, s'that many per-
sons experience a good deal of diff
>.
1t recognizes, too, that taxpayers res
ideat at points where collectors Off
ces are not easily accessible find it
hard to get proper instruction in the
law. Next year when every married
person living with wife or husband
and having net income of $4,000 and
every unmarried person not the head
Of a family and having a net income
of 81 900 for the year 1917 must make
return of income on the form pre-
| scribed, there will be hundreds in ev-
cry community seeking light on the
: law, and help in executing their re-
turns. My own and every other col
: lection district in the nation will be
divided into districts, with the county
as the unit, and a government officer
informed in the income tax assigned
to each district. He will spend hardly
: less than a week in each county, and
2 in some counties longer time, very
t ty seat town. In cities where there
e are collectors branch offices, he will
t be there, and in other cities possibly
n at the city hail. Ny office will in due
time advise postmasters and bankers
t and send out notices tothe newspapers
|. when the officer will be in each coun
: ty. 1t will be unnecessary for pros
r pective taxpayers to ask my office fo1
e forms on which to make returns The
officer who visits their county vii
have them.
+ "It may be stated as a matter O.
general information that net income
is the remainder after subtractinE
d expenses from gross income. Per
y sonal, family, or living expense is no
a expense in the meaning Of the law
2 the exemption being allowed to cove
$ such expenses.
i. ''The new exemptions Of 81 900 an
Il So 900 will add tens Of thousands
1t the number Of income taxpayers i
is this district, inasmuch as PRACTICAL
to every farmer, merchant, tradesma1
professional man and salary worke
and great many wage workers wi
IS be required to make return and pa
tax.
1e "The law makes it the duty of tn
at taxpayer to seek out the collecto
ce Many people assume that if an incom
We tax form is not sent, Or governme1
officer does not call, they are relieve
n from making report. This is decided
rs ly in error. It is the other way roun
e The taxpayer has to go to the go,
Il ernment and if he doesn't within tt
he time prescribed, he is a violator
I'D the law, and the government will 6
er to him with it's penalties"