The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-18
FERRET|NG OUT
TAX SLACKERS
treasury Department VIII Use Model
System In Getting Line on Those
Who Have Failed to
Pay.
MAKE THOROUGH PROBE
u Won Haven't Made Out Your Blanks,
It Will BE Well to Do
SO at Once, Is
Warning.

The following Is sent out from the
Office OF Louis Murphy, internal rev
enue collector:
There are thousands of persons in
Iowa. who although liable. have not
vet made their reports Of net income
70 the government Most Of those
liable who have not reported will dc
so hut there is also the careless per
son who is unconsciously counting
penalty. And again there are those
who believe they can successfully
eyaae the tax. The latter idea is
wholly and unqualinedly erroneous.
The method which the government
will employ in unearthing the would-be
tay.dodger is a model Of searching
thoroughness and efficiency. Every in
aiyidual or concern which paid another
Individual or concern income Of $500
or more during the past year must, in
each instance, make report of the
fact upon blanks provided for the pur-
nose. 1t is not request the govern
nent makes; it is an order and per-
smptory. :.
Blanks for information return"
form 1896, and blanks for report OF
income Of $500 or more paid during
1917" form 1899, are ready. Properly
flled out and executed, they must be
n the hands OF the commissioner Of
Internal revenue, Washington, D. C..
by March /.
Form 1899 has provision for the
name and address of the party or con-
Germ paying another an amount OF
$500 or more salary. wages, rent, in
terest, ETC., or other fixed or determin-
able gains, profits, and income. not in
Guiding dividends on stock" and also
the name and address of the party or
organization receiving such income.
One of these blanks must be filled out
by every individual or concern for
each person or organization to which
an amount of $500 or more, as speci-
fed above, is paid.
y Form 1896, the Information return"
contains blanks for summarizing the
number of forms 1899. Form 1896, in
fact, represents summary and letter
of transmittal for forms 1899.
These forms are not returns of in
comes, but they are returns OF infor-
nation. 1t Is not to be inferred from
the above that persons with an income
Of but $500 year are liable for re.
turn of net income 1t is to be under
ctOod tiieit. ethy pctoou VI COhSSih pay
ing another person or concern during
the year 1917, fixed and determinable
amount of income OF $500 or more,
must report the same to the govern
ment. This has nothing, to do with
the fact that single person with a
net income less than $1,000 or a mar
ried person with a net income less
than $4,000 is not liable for return OF
net income. But under the ''informa
ton system" the government will be
In position to ascertain whether
person who has not made return of
net income is liable for one.
Forms 1899 and 1896 are now avail
able and may be had together with all
necessary information regarding their
use, by writing the collector of inter
nal revenue, Dubuque
The method embodied in the above !
system is but one Of the means that
VIII be employed by the government in |
searching out the Stacker The work |
VIII De done with a thoroughness that |
VIII leave nothing to be desired The |
path CT the tax dodger will be ator- i
.uous one. But short time remains |
IN which to file returns. The phrase !
Do it now" never had more pointed !