Evening star., 1918-04-07

taries, clerks and SO on-who have come
under the operations Of law taxing In
comes for the first time this year.
mo way, as I have said. Is open at
present for learning the number Of per-
sons whose incomes must be reported
under the most comprehensive system
Of tax laws that the country has ever
known. A system, I might add, whose
purpose is to eQualize the burden OF
taxation on the basis Of ability to pay"
How much money will your bureau
collect this year from all sources?" the
interviewer asked.
"As late as September. 1917, W. H.
Osborn. who was then commissioner OF
internal revenue, estimated the collec-
tions for the fiscal year ending Juno 80,
1918. as amounting to $3,400.000.00e.
These figures are as accurate as any
we have and show that the internal
revenue bureau is easily the most i'm
portant collecting agency of the fed
eral government.
1.-THE bureau has undergone a re-
markable expansion in the scope and
.tion in 1862 Its duties then were al
most entirely, II not wholly. those of
collecting the excise taxes on whisky
and tobacco.
4 X
'I said that our collections for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1918. would
amount, approximately. to 50, 3,400,000,-
600. OF this amount $1,226, 100000 will
come from excess profits and $1.201.-
000, 900 from individual and corporation
incomes-$seo.000.0o 900 from individuals
and S535, 5,000. 600 from corporations. The
same amounts of income taxes and OF
excess profits tax. we think. will be
collected for the year ending June 30.
1919.
"You understand, Of course, that the
old income tax law is still on the books
and that the new law was enacted
that more revenue might be obtained
last year brought into the federal
Treasury s345,1s1. IA, of which sum
$173.3s6,S94 was collected on personal
incomes and S171,S05.150 on the in
comes of corporations.
This year the amount, we estimate,
and as l have already shown, will be
increased to s1.2o1. 100000 on incomes
alone. Large incomes will pay more
than formerly. and thousands Of new
incomes will be taxed as stated here
tofore. Persons receiving taxable in
comes have had every opportunity to
have carried on an energetic educa-
tional oa7pagn in, in all p parts IT ,1 Of h the
have been in the field purposely to in
their returns This campaign of edu-
cation was started during the closing
months of last year. and was continued
until April this year.
-OuT campaign OF eOuC1tlon was
vigorous. The campaign to discover
delinquents will be just as thorough
and intense. We purpose to go into
every school district Of every state in
the nation. The special war taxes also
will be paid.
'"The willingness Of the people to pay
the war taxes has been SO marked that
we believe the delinQuents for most part
will hasten to comply with the law when
they learn that they have not done so.
Those who have deliberately attempted
to cheat the government will be made to
suffer.
1--WE have tho figures Dividends re-
ceived by stockholders Of corporations
are known to US. Interest paid on bonds
and mortgages has been reported to the
government.
Indeed. the whole nation. let mo re-
peat. Is under the colors. The enthu-
siasm with which our people are paying
their taxes, Or getting ready TO pay
them. is one Of the most inspiring events
In our history"
tcopyrsht, 1918. by James 3. Naasul