The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-09-12

Y
q q = q . g q q q q Il q q q {
Washington, Sept. 12.-The, new
war tax bill, by which is to be raised
one-third Of the 24,O00,OOO,OO0 needed
TO finance Americas share OF the
world war during the coming fiscal
year, is the greatest piece of legisla-
ton of the kind ever attempted by q
Congress of the United States. II
touches probably every taxable source
and is intended to place the. bulk OF
the burden where it belongs and to
make every citizen share the cost OF
the fight for Democracy.
Far searching and inclusive, yet the
tax burden is said to be not as heavy
as that upon the people of England.
1t is also claimed it will not work
the hardship nor demand the self
sacrifice which has fallen to the lot
of either the English or the French.
The American people may appreci-
ate 1t more fully and they may I'M
derstand more clearly the part they
are taking financially by giving pass
ing notice at least, to the days in
which the Allied countries Of Europe
and particularly England, have raised
their war revenue.
The tax laws of England have ever
been more severe than those Of the
United States. 1t Is only natural
then, that England's war taxation
should be proportionately heavy. 1t
must also be remembered that Eng
land, being so near the fighting
zone and surrounded by waters in
tested by enemy submarines, has had
her commerce embarrassed and her
rich import duties, once the heaviest
in the world, somewhat reduced In
addition to that the demand for man
power for the army has taken from
factories the labor Home industry
has been paralyzed.
England has, therefore, been COM
PEELED to rely almost entirely upon
loans-foreign and domestic-and up
on system Of internal taxation lev
led upon incomes, excess profits and
Injuries. The same is true of France
and the other Allied countries.
English income and profits TAXATION
has been classified under five sched-
ules as follows: (a) Landlords Prop
erty Tax. (b) Farmers Tax, (c) Tax
on Holders Of Government Securities,
(d) Tax on business profits, profess
sional incomes and on sources Of in
come not included under any other
schedule, (e) Tax on salaries of pub
lie officials and employees.
The properties, profits and gains
on which income tax ia payable and
which fall under these schedules are
subject to an assessment on every
pound sterling Of their value.
Under the first schedule, every per-
son deriving an income from property
is taxed, these taxes being payable
by the person occupying the property
in question.
The second schedule or Farmers
Tax, is almost Identical with The first
except that the taxable land Is fixed
by law instead Of the tax being levied
against the actual income derived
from this land.
All incomes, whether in the forms
Of interest, annuities, dividends, or
shares of anpuities arising out Of any
public revenue, are subject to taxa
ton under the third schedule. The
tax is assessed at its source, before
the taxable income reaches the tax
payer, upon the persons and corpora
tions entrusted with the payment of
such income. Interest on certain
war loans are exempt under the
schedule.
The tax on business profits, profess
sional incomes and on incomes not
included under the regular schedules,
ig 80 far-reaching that 1t touches
practically every, source except the
incomes of charitable trusts and or
CARNATIONS and certain trade unions.
The tax rate is varying according to
circumstances The rate is applied to
all incomes exceeding 1870 pounds a
year, with certain attachments which
decrease proportionately as the in
comes increase. The abatement is
more generous and the rate lower
upon earned incomes than upon those
which are unearned.
The incomes of men in the army,
navy and Red Cross are also subject
hui IN, thaca aacoo