Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-12-20
READY FOR
INCOME TAX REPORT
Government to Send Man to Each
County Seat to Aid Citizens in
Making Out Report
DO YOU HAVE TO PAY?
You Must Make Report Voluntarily
You'll Not Be Called on Unless
You Fail TO Report

ST. LOUIS, No, Dee. Ii. - You
won't have to figure out your own IN
come tax all by yourself hereafter.
The Government is going % send out
men to help you. It will be up to you
to hunt up these men, who will be sent
into every county seat town, and some
other towns besides, to meet the peo-
pie. Postmasters, bankers and news
papers will be able to tell you when
the governments income tax man will
be around, and where to find him. lie
will answer your questions swear
you to the return take your money.
and remove the wrinkles from your
brow. Returns Of income for 1917
must be made between January l and
March l, 1918.
"The Government recognizes" Geo.
II. Moore, Collector Of Internal Rev.
enue, said yesterday. shat many per-
sons experience a good deal of diff
Guilty in filling out income tax forms.
It recognizes, too, that taxpayers res
ident at points where collectors of
fices 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 a net income of $1,000,
and every unmarried person having a
net income of $1,000 for the year
1917 must make return Of income on
the form prescribed, there will be num-
dreds in every community seeking
light on the law, and help in execut-
ing their returns. My own and every
other collection district in the nation
will be divided into districts, with the
county as a unit, and a government Of
ficer informed in The income tax as
signed to each district. He will
spend hardly more than a week in each
county, and in some counties a longer
time, very likely in the courthouse at
the county seat town. In cities where
there are collectors branch offices, he
viii be there, and in other cities pos
sibly at the city hall. My office will
IN due time advise postmasters and
bankers and send out notices to the
newspapers stating when the officer
viii be in the county. 1t will be un-
necessary for prospective taxpayers
to ask my office for forms on which to
make returns. The officer who visits
their county will have them.
1t may be stated as a matter of
general information that met in
come" is the remainder after sub
tracing expenses from gross income.
Personal, family, or living expense
is not expense in the meaning of the
law, the exemption being allowed to
cover such expenses.
The new exemptions Of $1,000 and
$1,000 will add tens Of thousands to
the number Of income taxpayers in
this district, inasmuch as practically
every farmer, merchant, brakeman,
professional mar and salary worker
and great many wage-workers will
be required to make return and pay
tax.
The law makes it the duty of the
Taxpayer to seek out the collector.
Many people assume that if an income
tax form is not sent, or a government
officer does not call, they are re-
lieved from making report This is
decidedly in error. 1t is the other
way round. The taxpayer has to go
to the government and if he doesn't
within the time prescribed, he is a
violator Of the law, and the govern
ment will go to him with its penal
ties"