Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-12-18
BY BASIL NJ. MANLY.
- TI7tIIIl VI 'T7FINlTa
Special staff Dispatch to THE EVEN
ING JOURNAL


ING JOURNAL.
WASHINGTON. d. c., Dec. is.-Will
your name be in the great American
"Doomsday Book" which the treasury
department Is now compiling as the
basis Of its machinery for tax collec-
ton?
II YOU received $500 or more this year
IN wages. salary, interest. dividends,
rents, or profits on speculation, your
name WILL be there. And what IS
more, along with your name will be
an exact record Of the amounts you
received from each Of these sources.
When William the ConqerOr took
control Of England he found nearly all
his unwilling subjects lodging their
taxes in scandalous fashion So In 1852
he set about making a complete list
OF all land and other property-holders
in his kingdom. with a record OF every
thing they possessed. This great record
the English appropriately called tho
"DoOmsday Book" because they knew
Il spelt doom for the tax dodgers.
Uncle sam is now building up his
own DOomsday Book, so as 10 end
evasion Of federal taxation. particularly
income and inheritance taxes. When
NVIlNAfNNu % N IAA WN a. AAAiAi fNANN'"Af va
act record Of the financial condition Of
every taxable person and corporation
I'm the United States. 70 will be a sure
trap for the people who try TO dodge
their war taxes.
In the last revenue bill there are two
sections. 1919 and 1911. which most
people never heard OF. These sections
provide the material for Uncle SANS
Doomsday Book Every corporation Is
required. on demand Of the Treasury
Department TO furnish a complete list
Of al its stockholders with names. adj
dresses, number of shares held and
amount Of dividends paid. Every broker
is required to file with the treasury
list Of all transactions for customers.
whether speculative or for investment.
showing the amounts Of their profits
or losses-not only stock speculation.
hut dealings in grain and cotton IN
lures, and all kinds Of transactions.
FurthermOre-all persons. corpora
lions, and partnerships including les
sees, trustees. receivers and employers.
are required 30 make "A complete re-
turn of an amounts of $50 or more
paid during the year In wages, sala
ries. interest. rent. premiums, annulties
or any other form Of compensation 20
persons. corporations or partnerships.
IN the case Of interest on bonds, mort
cages. etc, q return Is required re-
yardless Of the amount.
This means that every corporation
must furnish the government with a
complete list Of all employees who re-
reive in wages or salaries $500 year
,r more.
As these returns come In they are
card indexed, with a card for every
person whose name appears.
All amounts a person receives from
all sources are brought together IN one
place.
Thus, for John Doe. there may be
half a dozen cards-one showing that
he received $1,000 salary from the p.
d. Q. Corporation; another showing
he owns some steel stock which paid
$1,000 dividends last year; another
showing he owns lands for which he
received $500 rent; smother showing he
dabbled in stocks last year With Skin
mem and Soakem, brokers. and cleaned
nap $500 IN coppers; and another show
ing he received 1920 royalty on a
patent
When John Doe goes to make up HIS
income tax return this year he may
want 70 forget some OF the items lie
may think 'Well, nobody knows about
that little flyer in coppers. ! guess
will leave that out. Nobody Will be any
wiser. and just look how much tax
have TO pay without that Surely / am
doing my share Of paying for the war
But your Uncle sam will know He
may not know within sir months or a
year, because the filing and indeXing OF
the millions Of cards is a colossal task.
But he Is going 20 find that job sooner
OF later. T=en a clerk will take John
Does sworn tax return, 60 10 the
card nle and get out all the cards that
snow payments to John Doe. lie Will
compare these with the tax return and
find that John left out that $500 profit
on stock speculation. lie Will report
that to the district attorney, and some
morning John Doe will find himself in