The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-11-29
Nd ONE ESCAPES
INCOME TAXES
RETURNS MADE BY SPECIAL
REVENUE AGENTS.
new Law EFFECTIVE FOR 1917
Earnings Above 100000 For Married
Men and $1,000 For Single. Men
Eiuct Settle With Uncle Sam
Law Gees Into Effect Jan. I.

Dubuque, Ia, Nov. 26.-Collector o
Internal Revenue Louis Murphy ha:
returned from Washington where he
was summoned for conference witt
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Daniel G. Roper.
The internal revenue department
according to the Collector, is under
going reorganization in staff anC
line. Whereas a few years ago il
was a more or less obscure bureau
today it is one of the most important
administrative arms of the federal
government. The task confronting
it in the collection of the billions OF
dollars of taxes, imposed by the war
revenue Act of October 4, 1917, COM
PEELED reorganization and Secretary
of the Treasury McAdoo called to the
task General Roper, who had put the
postoffice department on an efficiency
basis. .
commissioner Roper called me to
Washington to advise me that plan
for nationwide drive for income
tax returns during the months Of jan
uary and February which submitted
had been adopted in full. The Com
missioner followed up his announce
ment with the request that l take
complete charge of the execution of
the plan in the nation. This task
makes it necessary for me to divide
my time between Dubuque and Wash
ington. The assignment given me
is a compliment to the Iowa organ
ization-my associates in Office and
field-without whose loyal and un-
selfish thought and labor it would
have been impossible to work out
here on small scale the plan now
to be adapted TO the nation.
Millions of Taxpayers.
1.-THE reduced exemptions provided
in the new income tax law-S2,090 for
married men and $500 for each de-
pendent child under Is years, and
$1,000 for unmarried men, will add
millions TO the number of income tax
payers in the nation. How to reach
these millions, acquainting them with
their duties, and secure their returns
of income intelfigently executed is
the problem of the Bureau-my prob
lem by delegation.
THE plan of solution is simple
enough. The entire present forces
of revenue agents and collectors, al
ready several thousand in number
and presently to be augmented by the
addition of few thousand more. will
be assigned to the duty of taking tax.
payers returns during the months of
January and February, 1918, when
returns of income for the year 1917
must be made. So many of these
field officers not now familiar with
the income tax will be summoned to
collectors and revenue agents Of
fees for period of intensive train
ing. equipping them to go forth on
January 2 to help the perplexed tax.
payer.
Many Iowans Affected.
Probably one person in every for
ty will have to make return of in
come next January or February for
the year 1917. This means that ap-
proXimately 10000 Iowans will be af-
footed. 1t is safe to say that $4,000
Of these don't and won't know the
laws provisions, and left to them
selves many of them wouldn't make
return, thus exposing themselves to
heavy penalties. One officer can ex-
ecute thirty average returns in a day,
so that, allowing for time lost in NOV
ing from place to place, forty officers,
working the fifty-one days from Janu-
airy to March /, both dates inclus.
i've. will be required to execute the
returns of Iowa's $4,000 taxpayers.
Every collection district will be
cut up into districts of one, two, or
more counties, depending upon the
indicated number of taxpayers, and
one officer assigned to each district.
1t will thus be possible to determine
far in advance the exact dates when
an officer will be in given county
at the court house in the county
seat, and possibly in a second town
In the county. His coming will be
announced in news articles sent out
TO daily and weekly newspapers, and
adyices to bankers and postmasters.
Agents make Out Returns.
"All person subject to the tax, or
in doubt about il; or any phase of the
law. need do. is inform himself when
the income tax man will be in his
town or vicinity, and call on him
when he arrives. He will make out
the taxpayers return, answer the
taxpayers questions, clear up his
doubts. swear him to the return, take
his money, and remove the wrinkles
from his brow.
''This is the next thing to rapping
on q mans door, telling him you're
the incame-tax man and that you've
come TO help him make out his re.
turn.
No Excuse For Failure.
This plan removes the last excuse
- f1,.. ..,l,<.ox. 1ofn~an frr