The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-04
s3,672,000,000 PAID
IN INTERNAL TAXES
Total Collections $4,000, 900 In Elk.
cess OF the Estimates Made
BY Congress.
TAXPAYERS ARE PATRIOTIC.
Commissioner Roper . Praises Their
Hearty Cooperation With the Cow
ernment--Is Great Show of
Patriotism.

Washington, July s.--vThe grand
I total of collections under the internal
revenue laws was announced tonight
! by Internal Revenue Commissioner
Roper to DO s3.672, 900, 900. or sara
! 600 900 in excess of the estimates
made by committees of congress when
they were preparing the war revenue
act of October 8, 1917 Details were
not furnished.
The war revenue law was one of the
most comprehensive measures of taxa
| ton ever enacted. It proposed forms
| of taxation never before tried by any
! government Thousands of questions
| arose as to its Interpretation and APP
plication. Hundreds of legal decisions
| had to be made and scores of expert
economists were called to the aid of
the government from all parts of the
country.
| The compliance with the war rev.
enue law shown by the taxpaying
| public has been remarkable. No seri-
Gus objection to the law has been ad-
vanced with any prospect of contro-
versies i'm tho courts. Interests that
have been placed under heavy con-
| tributions have responded fairly and
| have encountered no serious obstruc-
! ton in their duties of investigation
and scrutiny.
With the great mass OF small tax
! payers the income tax has proved
/ safe and practical means of getting
revenue This has been made to work
out the more easily by a systematic
| cam paign of education conducted by
the internal revenue bureau 80 that
| 3,, ~ of hn ftxr az
among all classes of income receiving
| people there has been a minimum of
| uncertainty and confusion as to what
must be regarded as taxable income
and what should be held to be en-
/ titled to exemption.
Cost Less Than the Estimate.
! The cost of collecting this huge
/ bulk of taxes has been less than three
and one half tenths of per cent. The
number of officials employed on it was
increased from 4 .000 TO 5000 and con-
gress allowed $t2,70o,00 TO cover the
cost of collection. which has been
done with some saving of the appro-
priation.
The figures as to income and war
/ taxes are for the taxable year ended
with December 81, 1917 1t Is the Of
| fetal belief that the productive wealth
OF the country during the present year
!
amount than that of 1917. and that
the collections OF taxes will be cores
pondingly larger.
/ In announcing the result of the in
ternal revenue collections, Commits
sioner Roper pointed out that the
great total was paid by the American
people as a war burden. The cores
ponding taxation of 1915 produced
$500, 900, 900 revenue To pass from
. u .,s.I tx
night Is recognized as q tremendous
step in the financial history of the
country,
Among the factors that have been
most helpful In administering the
law, said Commissioner Roper. may
be mentioned the unusually able group
OF legal and tax advisers assem- bled
with the greatest care from all parts
of the country, These men were
selected wholly because of their ability
and their knowledge of taxation and
Industrial methods and procedure.
They have labored day and night,
sacrificing themselves physically and
! financially to serve their country in
this war crisis. Their work has been
that OF Interpretation, construction OF
regulations, and the application of the
law in the light of industrial knowl-
edge to specific problems brought to
the department by taxpayers.
Gfea. Showing of Patriotism.
National patriotism and solidarity
engendered by the war have con-
tributed largely to our success. The
way in which the taxpayers have gem
orally assisted and co-operated has
been constant source of inspiration,
! Il believe that the majority of hon
est taxpayers in this country now
understand and appreciate more than
ever before the methods and objec-
tives of the internal revenue bureau.
and this will be most effective in as
sisting us in our campaign for de-
! iinquent taxpayers as we'll Is those
who have filed defective returns. 1t
is our purpose to equalize the tax
i burden by collecting from every per-
son and every industry the full amount
of tax that is due to the government
and not one cent more. and on the
other hand to return any excessive
taxes which may have been collect
ed.
Our efforts could not have been
successful without the cooperation
of a very efficient group of assistants
within our organization and of a most
loyal personnel throughout the SER
vice. our men have not observed an
eight hour day, but have worked both
day and night to bring about the re-
suit we have accomplished. They have
rendered a real war service to their
country"