The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-04
THE INCOME TAX
Who IT AFFECTS
AND PROVISIONS

The following general letter regard
ing the income tax for the var 1917 to
be collected by the government will be
Of interest to all:
Gentlemen:-In carrying on the
work of sustaining the great purpose
that the nation has in this emergency
in international affairs it is absolutely
necessary, as you we'll know, to pro-
vide the funds to adequately support
| the army and navy, and other neceS-
sary departments of the government.
The two great sources from which
these funds must come are from the
| sales of liberty bonds, and the collec-
! ton Of taxes. The United States gov
eminent expects to secure from the
collections of income taxes for 1917,
a sum of moneysas large as the entire
| sales of liberty bonds for the last lib
erty loan. You can see, therefore, that
| it is Just as essential for every poss-
| ible patriotic force in this country to
cooperate to have just and fair pay
| ment OF taxes as it is to cooperate
in similar manner to sell liberty
| bonds.
| To raise three billions of dollars in
taxes on incomes for the year 1917, is
a great task for the treasury depart
ment of the United States and to &C
complish this is must have full and
sympathetic cooperation of every in
dividual who sincerely and patriotic
ally is standing behind the govern
ment at this time.
In the collection of income taxes for
the year ending December 81, 1917,
persons who fail to make returns in
accordance with law will be penalized
automatically so that every effort
should be made to bring the income
tax law and it's provisions to the at
tention of the people.
Every unmarried person having
$1,000 or over, net income must make
a return, and the same thing is true
with every person who is married and
has an income of $4,000, or over.
The law imposing this tax requires
all persons or corporations who act
as trustees or employers who make a
payment in salaries, compensations,
more in any taxable year 10 any per-
son, to make an account to the treas
ury department of such amounts, to-
gether with the names and addresses
of the recipients of such payments in
1917.
The blank forms for this purpose
are not ready yet, but I am sending
| of no
be able to get the material ready so
1t will be available for our use when
required.
| desire at this time to ask your par
ticular cooperation in reference to
employees of your organization whose
salaries or wages of $1,000 or more as
unmarried men, or $4,000 or more as
married men, will require them to
make return.
L intend to have one of my deputies
visit your city in a very short time
and [ hope it may be possible with
your cooperation to nave him visit
your office so that any of your en-
ployees who receives the income re-
quisite will be permitted to visit him
at your office SO that his income tax
blank can be made out promptly, ac-
curately and without any trouble or
inconvenience to such employee. If
you will advise me that you will per-
NIT one of my deputies to thus person
ally reach your, employees through
your office, as suggested, please let
me know, and in the meantime please
get together the names of those whose
salaries or wages are such that they
are required to make federal income
tax return, and when my deputy reach
es your city l will have him communi-
cate with you at once
| In doing this you will be rendering
a service to the United States just as
important as cooperating in the SELL
ing of liberty bonds and at the same
time you will thus be able to bring
direct information to your employees
so that no one of them will be penal
lied for failure to observe and comply
with this new law.
Hoping that I can hear from Won
promptly in relation to this, and as
surfing you of my appreciation of the
cooperation [ feel sure you will rem
der in this matter, | remain,
Very truly yours,
Burt, Williams,
| Collector