Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-02-19
PREPARE YOUR FIGURES
FOR 1918 INCOME TAX
COLLECTOR MURPHY WILL SEND
MEN TO COUNTY TO ASSIST
TAXPAYERS WITH REPORTS.
READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

Every Single Person with $1,000 Income
and Married Person with $1,000 In.
come Must File Report.
Collector of Internal Revenue Muir
ply announces that an income tax Of
ficer will be in this county at the fol
lowing towns, and places, on the dates
stated:
Manchester, April 81 to May 5. al
the Court house.
Earlville, May to 9. (For place in
quire of Postmas,er)
Hopkinton, May 10 to May Is. (For
place in quire Of Postmaster.l
Collector Murphy, in warning is
sued to taxpayers, instructs them not
to pay taxes in cash, but by check
draft or money order, and not to pay
any man representing himself to be a
Government Officer, any payment for
his services, as the Government en-
ploys and pay these officers to assist
taxpayers.
Every married person. living
with husband or wife, who had a net
income in 1918 of $4,000 or more,
counting in the earnings Of minor chill
dren, is Obliged to make an income re-
turn; every unmarried person, or mar
ried person not living with husband
or wife, who had net income of 81 900
during 1918. must make return. The
penalties for failure to make return,
when required, are fine and imprison-
ment.
Deputy Collectors will have supply
of forms for all taxpayers.
Before calling on the income tax
man, be sure to have all your figures
ready-a complete statement Of all the
money you took in and paid out last
year.
Some time ago Collector Murphy is
sued the following instructions, as a
guide for, the people of his district.
The instructions are very plain, and
every person should read them careful
ly so that when the Income Tax men
are here no delay will be occasioned
in arriving at the facts entering into
the Income Tax for 1918.
/. Here are Collector Murphy's in
structions:
"The income tax obligations i'm
posed by the law consists of two dis
tinct operations. One is, to file re-
turn or statement Of all items
of income and .intems of ueduc-
tions allowable by law, and to do
this within the period named in the
law. The other is, to pay the tax, If
any is due.
Requires Figuring.
Neither of these obligations can
be met without a careful review of
income 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 done; all it's fruits are CLEAN
ed; and every person who Jared well.
or earned good competence, must
analyze his own case in cold figures.
when the new bill is enacted into
law, l will have the proper return
forms distributed throughout the dis
trict, and everybody will be informed
Of the date when the sworn return
must be filed. 1t is my plan to send
my men out to central locations, and
to have them travel through the dis
trict, aiding taxpayers in the prepar-
alton Of the returns and in deciding
doubtful points. We will go right
to the people with the income tax,
and with the cooperation which the
public can give the government men,
the returns will be filed by every
body who comes under the laws pro-
visions, the right taxes will be paid,
and the district will have done its
full patriotic duty toward the gov
ernment's support
Must Compile Earnings.
Meanwhile, let me say again,
there is no need of delaying the prep
aration of figures. Anything that
congress does now, will not affect
the amount of a persons earnings
for 1918. Let us avoid the belated
throwing together Of figures that may
hit or miss. Guesses cannot be ac
cepted as the basis of taxation. 1t
is clearly the duty Of every person
to compile correct figures and as
certain whether his income for 1918
was sufficient to make necessary a
sworn return.
1.-The year 1918 was banner year
for salaries and wages. and the high
war prices brought unusual profits
to the average small tradesman and
to the farmer The opinion in Wash
ington is that a million citizens and
residents will make this year their
first income tax returns.
Nearly Everyone Effected.
"All signs indicate that the income
tax this year will reach nearly every
working man and woman. and near
ly every merchant, shop keeper and
farmer. Not all will have to pay the
tax, but nearly all will De obliged to
make a sworn statement of the years
income. ~ ...
81 am therefore advising every un-
married person who earned 81, 900 or
over during the year 1918. and every
married person, who together with
wife or husband, earned $4,000 to