The Washington times., 1918-04-29
COI4ECTOROF
TAXES PLANS
TO SIMPLIFY
BILL PAYING
BY BILL PRICE.


has devised new plans for gathering
the approximately $1,000 600 that will
be collected in May from the people
of the District, beginning "Wednesday
next
Within the next two or three days
Mr.. Prince will mail TO thousands Of
wsshingtonians notices that their
personal and intangible taxes are due
in May, and that from the end OF that
month on penalties will attach in. the
event OF failnre.
Although the law does not provide
that either real estate or personal tax
bills shall be mailed to taxpayers.
Mr.. Prince last year tried the expert
ment OF mailing personal tax bills.
Forgot Their Bills.
The plan did not accomplish much.
as two-thirds Of the people forgot to
take the bills 10 the collectors office,
and when they went there had to
ask that new ones be made out.
Mr.. Princes plans for this years
collection Of taxes are based upon a
7simplifcatiou Of former methods, so
shat the taxpayer will be delayed as
little as possible when in the District
building. The old plan was for the
citizen to go to the assessors office
where his bill was made out. Then
he ambled around through several
Railways and to several different iron
cages in the collectors office before
ne was able to pay over his money.
All this work is now to be done in
,fhe collectors office. 4 long row OF
windows, each marked with letters OF
THE alphabet, will tell the taxpayer
what window 10 walk to when he is
asking for his bills, real estate or
personal. Jones will go to the win
dow, and back Of this window will
fstand clerks with the J ledgers. In
drawers under these ledgers are the
bills already made out. White will
find the same situation at the w win
,dow, and all the way through the al
.phsbet
Work II Facilitated.
Should a citizen want his real estate
bill only he can quickly get it. II he
wants his personal tax bill only IL
will be there when he asks. II he
presents his personal tax notice he
will be facilitated to some extent.
Having obtained bills in quick order
the taxpayer goes to the cashiers
window, pays what he owes and gets
his bill receipted.
There will be twenty large real
estate ledgers, with a clerk in charge
of two ledgers and other clerks in
charge OF the personal tax bills.
Bills for real estate taxes will be
mailed on written request. but Mr..
Prince believes that he has matters
so arranged that taxpayers will lose
little time in asking for and obtain
ing their bills at the alphabetically
arranged windows and ledgers.
Million Expected.
Last year $4,000 people paid taxes.
The intangible tax law is expected to
run the total this year to between
10000 and $4,000. There were COL
lected in May Of last year S6.O53,4T6,
and 1t is estimated by officials that
the Intangible tax law will add an
-other SI,OOO,OOO TO the revenues next
month, with a total OF not less than
$1,000. 600.
The rate for real estate taxes this
year remains the same as last, $3.50
on the 500; personal tax is unchanged
at S1-5O on the 100, and the intangible
tax is 80 cents on 500.
Taxes in the District are payable in
the November prior TO May, but the
total November collections are not
over 100000.
Collections upon which penalties are
applied often run as high as 81 900 900
after May 30. through forgetfulness
or lack OF funds. Some Of this amount
IS not collected until the real estate
involved is sold 10 pay taxes
Considerable Strain on Banks.
The payment OF May taxes put con
siderable strain upon the District banks.
which are being drawn upon rather
heavily 10 make Liberty loan payments
II was expected that the Treasury De
partment will follow its previous custom
OF redepOsiting with District banks a
substantial portion OF the tax collections
the money 10 be returned TO the Treas
ury in periodical payments. This plan
goes far toward relieving the local strain.
As the tax collections this year will be
much larger than in past years the
Treasury deposits with local banks will
probably be something ike 100000 dur
ing the month OF May.