The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-02-01
Big INCREASES IN SIGHT
Individual and Corporation Income
Taxes Expected to Break All Records
Returns Must Be Made to 0ffic-
ials by First Day of March.

Assessor of Incomes Joseph E. Dali
ton is just completing the work Of
sending out three thousand brand new
pink income tax reports. These reports
went to wage earners, salaried men
and other individuals whose principal
income is derived from personal service
and they are supposed to be filed out
and returned to the assessor on or be-
fore the first day of March.
There is little change in the income
report blank this year and the tax
payer is called upon to get confden
tial as to his earning ability. On most
of the salaried men the assessor of in
comes has a check as his employer is
forced to make a return to the state
showing the amount Of his salary and
a lot of other things connected with
his employment.
The blanks are sent to every man
and woman in the county who is sup
posed to have incomes of over 5000 if
he is single and of over $1,000 if he is
married. The fact that man does not
get the income suspected, does not re-
heve him of the responsibility of max
ing a report. A careful check is kept
on all the blanks sent out and if the
blank is not returned, the assessor o.
incomes has power to make an arbi.
trary assessment and the tax made on
such an assessment may be collected.
The failure to receive one of these
handsome pink blanks does not permit
the man SO failing to escape the in
come tax provision of the law. The
assessor still retains the right to put
his name on the roll and assess his in
come The blank still shows that the
state is putting handicap on thrift
and that it insists that a man return
as part of his income his estimated
rental value Of the home he owns. It
is possible that this feature Of the in
come tax will be eliminated before the
end of another year, as bill is now
pending before the legislature to re-
peal this portion of the law.
The reports for the corporation In
come taxes will be sent out by the
Wisconsin State Tax Commission from
Madison within the next few days.
The blanks for reports on incomes to
the federal government were sent out
some time ago. It is just possible that
before the first Of July the men who
earn salaries of $4,000 will be called
upon to give a part of their income
for the support Of the federal govern
ment, as a bill is now pending in con-
gress to reduce the exemptions from
$4,000 to $4,000. IF this bill is passed,
more than 1900 Kenosha men will be
added to the list paying federal income
taxes.
1t is expected that the harvest of the
city and state from the income tax
for the coming year will be the great
est in the history of the operation of
the law. The reports are on incomes
earned during the year ending Deem
Der l, 1916. This will make it posi-
bic for men who had big bonuses pre-
sented to them at the end of the year
to retain the taxes on these bonuses
for another year at least. However,
the increase in salaries and wages in
Kenosha during the past year has been
considerable and it is expected that
there will be very large increase in
the amount to be paid as individual
income tax while the amounts to be
paid by corporations in Kenosha coun-
ty will be very materially increased
over the amounts which are being col
lected at the present time.
Heavy penalties are assessed against
people who fail to make the returns
within the time set by the state and
a fine of $500 for each offense is made
for men who fail to make proper state
ments of their incomes.
More Of the blanks are sent out in
Kenosha this year than ever before
The Beard of Review which is to pass
on the incomes will be named by the
state tax commission some time in
June and its meetings will be held in
July. The formal assessment on the
incomes will not be made until some
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