The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-05-08
Sodas II Everything to be Taxed
May 1.

May 1.
Carry a few extra pennies in your
pockets after May l.
Uncle Sam is going to take them
away from you to help pay Tor the
war.
Every time you spend dime at a
soda fountain or ice cream parlor on
and after May you'll have TO throw
an extra penny on the counter to pay
the war tax. :,
The tax on Ice cream and SOFT
drinks is only one of the many which
20 into effect under the revenue act
on May /. The most important OF
these are the so-called luxury
taxes which were rewritten into the
revenue bill before it became appar-
ent to our congressman that they
were unnecessary.
An attempt was made to pass
bill repeating them before congress
adjourned, but it was one OF the
bills talked to death in the tlllbuster;;
1t is likely that the luxury taxes
will be repealed during the coming
special session, but until then we IL
| They cali these luxury taxes. =
but the commodities taxed are by no
means all Injuries. Congress in
| tended the taxes to fall on the rich
and the well-to-do people OF the
country, but some OF them Will tall
just as heavily on the great 80 per
the middle classes and the poor.
Take, for instance, the tax on
medicines. After May /, you'll have
| to pay tax of l per cent for each 20
cents worth Of proprietary medicines
you buy, whether they are pills,
tablets, powders, syrups, tonics:
plasters, salves or ointments:. If
hnff1n mp6lnlnp
you'll pay cents tax.
The same tax will apply to tooth
powders. hair dyes, hair restoratives,
toilet waters, perfumes and other
toilet articles.
The tax on other 'luxuries' is not
so heavy as that on medicines, toilet
articles and beverages. The reason
per cent, it is imposed not on the
entire price of the article taxed, but
on that part of it in excess OF a
special amount.
For instance, carpets and rugs are
taxed 10 per cent on the amount you
pay over IS square yard. That is,
if you buy ten square yards of car
if you pay SIS a square yard for ten
yards, or $50 you will be taxed on
that extra dollar a yard. Thus you
will pay, 500 yard or Sel for the
ten yards.
Another luxury tax" that will hit
the poor after May l is that on NOV
ing pictures, which requires every
for exhibition to pay monthly tax
of 5 per cent of the amount his films
produce in rentals. This tax, OF
course, will be added to that already
being paid by the public on admis-
sions to moving picture theatres. In
many cases it will double the price
of movie tickets.
These new taxes are in addition
to many others which went into eff
feet Or April L. Prominent among
these is the tax Of per cent of the
total price paid on all articles OF
jewelry.
Still other luxury" taxes, which
affect wealthy people principally. but
here and there dig into the pockets
since the revenue act was approved
by the president in March. These
include the following percentages of
the total prices
Automobiles, 5 per cent.
Automobile accessories. 5 per cent.
Musical instruments and records,
5 per cent.
Sporting goods, 10 per cent.
Chewing gum, per cent.
Candy, 5 per cent.
Cameras, 10 per cent.
Photographic films and plates, 5
per cent.
Firearms and ammunition. 10 per
cent
Hunting knives. 10 per cent.
Portable electric fans. ) per CG-t !
Thermos bottles, 5 per cent. /
Cigar and cigaTet holders, humi-
doris, smoking stands, 10 per cent.
Slot machines. 5 per cent.
Livery uniforms, 10 per cent.
Hunting or riding habits. 10 per
cent.
Fur clothing and furs, 20 per cent.
Toilet soaps, 3 per cent.
Pleasure boats, 10 per cent
Paintings and statuary, 10 per
cent.
Then there are the taxes on alco-
holic drinks, and the taxes on eli
CARS. cigarets and tobacco, which ev
cry user has been paying since the
law took effect.
Not to speak of the income excess
profits and war profits taxes. theatre
taxes and various others which we
are all paying Uncle Sam to help pay
for the war