The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-12-20
FEDERAL INCOME TAX.
Officials Will Explain the Law and Aid
Those Liable to Make Returns.

Officials Will Explain the Law and Aid
Those Liable to Make Returns.
Columbia, December 18: You
won't have to figure out your own
income tax all by yourself hereafter.
The government is going to send
out men to help you. 1t 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 people. Postmasters,
bankers and newspapers will be able
to tell you when the governments
income tax man will be around, and
where to find him. He will answer
your questions. swear you to the re-
turn, and save you great deal Of
time and annoyance. Returns Of
income for 1917 must be made be-
tween January and March l, 1918.
The government recognizes.
Collector of Internal Revenue D C
Hayward said, that many persons
experience good deal of difficulty
in filling out income tax forms. 1t
recognizes too, that taxpayers resi-
dent at points where collectors Of
fees 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
$4,000, and every unmarried per.
son not the head of family and
having a net income of $1,000 for
the year 1917 must make return of
income on the form prescribed,
there will be hundreds in every COM
munity seeking light on the law.
help in executing their returns. My
own and even other collection cis-
tricts, with the county as the unit,
and q government officer informed
in the income tax assigned to each
district. He will spend hardly less
than a week in each county. and in
some counties a longer time, very
likely in the court house at the
county seat town. In cities where
there are collectors branch Offices.
he will be there, and in other cities
possibly at the city hall. My office
will in due time advise postmasters
and bankers and send out notices to
newspapers stating when the officer
will be in each county. 1t will be
unnecessary for prospective taxpay-
ers 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 matter of
general information that net in
come is the remainder after sub
tracing expenses from gross in.
come. Personal, family, or living
expense is not expense in the mean
ing of the law. the exemption being
allowed to cover such expenses.
The new exemptionsof 81 900 and
So, 900 will add many thousands to
the number Of income taxpayers in
this district, inasmuch as practically
every farmer, merchant, tradesman.
professional man and salary work.
er and a 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 collect
or. Many people assume that if an
income tax form is not sent. or a
government officer does not call,
they are relieved from making re-
ports. This is decidedly in error.
It is the other way round. The
taxpayer has to 60 to the govern
ment and if he doesn't within the
time prescribed, he is a violator of
the law, and the government will go
to him with its penalties.
FIVE hundred bushels government
inspected seed oats on hand at
1914 SCoTT-LoGAN Co.'s.