The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-01-21
INCOME TAX
MUST Be PAID
BY NEARLY ALL.
Do Not Delay Figuring Out In.
come for 1918
MAKE SWORN STATEMENT
Married Persons Having Children In
der 10 Who Are Working, Should
Include Their Earnings.

49, ~
Portsmouth, N. H.. Jan. lS.--"phe
big Income Tax Drive Of 1919 Is now
under way, and every preparation is
being made to handle the largest col
lection in the history OF Income Tax
Il am not waiting for the final passage
Of the new Revenue Bill by Con-
gress," said Collector Seth w. Jones
today, nor for the new regulations
and blank forms to be issued. To get
this big tax in and get 1t accurate and
complete, / urge that We all begin
nowl*
The income tax obligations impos-
4 ed by the old laws, as we'll as the
measure now in Congress, consist OF
I two distince operations. One is. to
file return or statement of all items
of income and items of deductions al
lowable by law, and to do this within
the period named in the law. The
other is, to pay the tax, IL any Is due
Neither of these obligations can be
met without careful review OF In
come and expenditure for the tax
year That is the big job right now,
and that Is why | say the income Tax
drive Is already under way. Every
where the pencil is busy. The old
year Is don't. all It's fruits are CLEANED;
and every person who Jared well, or
earned good competence, must ana.
! lyze his own case IN cold figures
When the new bill is enacted into
law, viii have the proper return
forms distributed throughout the Dis
trict, and everybody will be in formed
OF the date when sworn return must
be iiled 1t is my plan 10 send my
men out to central locations, and 70
have Them travel through the District.
aiding taxpayers 10 the preparation OF
the returns and in deciding doubtful
points. We will go right to the peo-
pie with the Income Tax, and with the
cooperation which the public can
give tho government men, the returns
VIII BIZ fled by everybody who comes
under the. lag.c-. .prcYisiQns.s the right
taxes pjil 81 ~ s,n nc District
will have dore It's f9si patriotic duty
toward the gOveramtats support.
Meanwhile, let r'a say again. there
is no need OF delays 3 ihe preparation
Of figures. Anythiu that Congress
does now will not affect the amount.
OF 4 persons earnllgs for 1918. Let
us avoid the belatel throwing togeth-
er OF figures that may hit or miss
Guesses cannot be accepted as tine
basis Of taxation. 1t is clearly the
duty Of every person to compile cor
rect figures and ascertain whether his
income for 1918 was sufficient to make
necessary q sworn return.
"The year 1918 was banner year
for salaries and wages and the high
war prices brought unusual profits 10
the average small tradesman and to
the farmer The opinion in Washing
ton is that a million citizens and resi-
dents will make this year their first
/ income tax returns.
"All signs indicate that the income
| tax this year will reach nearly every
working man aud woman, and nearly
every merchant shop keeper and far.
mer. Not all will have to pay the tax.
but nearly all will be Obliged to make
sworn statement Of the years in
come.
Il am therefore advisi every per
son who earned $1,000 or over during
the year 1918, to sharpen his pencil
and figure out how he stands.
"He must ascertain accurately his
gros income from all sources. There's
his salary or wages, including over
! time pay and any bonus received as
! additional compensation. 4 married
person having children under IS who
ere working should include the earn.
ings of such children.
IF he sold any property at profit
the gain must be computed and in
cluded in gross income II he rented
any property 10 other persons, the
total rents received in the year must
be ascertained, and from that figure
deduction may be taken for taxes paid
on rented property the necessary
minor repairs, fire insurance. any in
terest he may have paid on mortgage.
{ and a reasonable allowance for an
nual wear and tear Of the rented
property. The balance Is included in
gross income for the year.
. Interest on bank deposits. whether
withdrawn or added to his bank bal.
ances. must be included In all calcula
tons of incomes. Bond interest re-
celved during the year must also bc
included, except where interest on
municipal, county or state bonds. In
4 terest on United States Bonds need
not be included by the ordinary bond
, holder who purchased small amounts.
~ Holders Of large amounts Of Liberty
/. bonds. however, should ask their bank
y ers to write to my Office for the rule
!, applying to tax on such interest
/. Dividends on stock shares are IN
y come. and must be included in the
gross figures. although the law does
mot impose tho normal tax on distri
= buttons made hy domestic corpora.
tionc
"a person buying aid selling mer
ohandlso must find his profits for thC
year on the following basis. First, "a
/, certain the gross sales or total cash
), receipts Then add together The IN
z yontory ne the beginning Of tho yeaI
end the purchases OF goods for resale
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