The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-03-05
(This Is the first OF a series Of
three articles on how Uncle Sam
can toll whether your income tax
return Is correct.)

can toll whether your income tax
return Is correct)
WASHINGTON. March = rcopI"
have often wondered whether The
United States government would have
tn" time or the staff to examine tn"
millions OF income tax shoots witch
have been flied IN IL" last TWO YEARS.
or VIII be filed in the future. VIII"
docs tn" checking M" And how care
fully IS II done" What happens # You
max" an honest mistake" What hap
happens Il the government catches 4
tax cv1dcr'
These ,lucSi.uuS are No doubt being
asked everywhere a. the people Of Ia"
TINTED States prepare their !ur"uI" tax
returns which must y" IN tn" hands 80
collectors OF Int"cuu! r"N"nU" 10y March
18th. luaSmurh as every unmarried
man in tn" United States who earns So"
4 week and every married man o. We
man or Individual who - The head at =
family caruuG $40 week must tlc =
statement Of inrOm" regardless 49,
whether there is any tax dur. plenty eft
trouble and cmharrassm'm can !"
avoided by wagc-"arn"rs. merchants,
farmers. professional men, landlords.
business partners and corporations Icy
knowing IN advance just "what ln"lr
The Requirements.
In tho first place. every factory. S'"r",
wholesale or retail business. IN iH't
every employer must MAX" out ii~t
OF his employees and the wages or sal
aries they get. provided the sum IN each
ease is abuv" SIS week. That means
the United States government gathers
together separate sheets OF paper or
which Information ~ given concerning
cVCryhOdy'S income ah"V" slI. Th"~r
statements ar" carefully filed and thou.
sands ut government employees ar" At
work daily looking 10 Sc" whether j"Hn
Smith. who's" employer. sent IN 4 state
mcnt saying IN" employ" had received
more than SD a week throughout tn"
preceding year actually fitted return
Of his own 10 the government and pad
the taxes due.
Eut you Will say. the employer need
not file a return For his employees. t.
himself for that sum Of money hrcaus"
when the income tax experts look "v' p
his bookS--and they can do So at amy
timo-they viii regard tn" amount 81
profits. And employers wouldn't lik"
that So tho employer - Il cheek Ell tn"
employe so far as tho government IS
concerned.
The Delinquents.
But u goes further than that. II NUN
received moro than $lj a week or $500
year from any business transaction.
whether from the sale OF land or S'ru"i-
ties or property ot any Kind or amy
class Of service from teaching nights 80
working on tho side after business
hours. the man who paid y"U more than
$500 must toll the government about it
And staff Of experts work HI tn"
time making a list ~ persons " hu didn't
al" returns. And som" day a repre- sen.
tItive Of the government Will call "u a
few hundred thousands of our p"nrl"
and hand them a tax return Hlr"adN
made out. which they neglected I" H."
themselves. only III" taNcS viii b" unrh
larger because there will De- a penalty
for nor-paymcnt Of taxes long overdue.
There Is a special division of tn" In
come Tax Bureau which does nothing
else hut think up penalties on persons
who don't file tho correct Kind 81 r.
turn. or course. allowance is mad" for
error and for reasonable excuses IA
case Of delayed returns. People "h"
are sick or ahscn- from tho country and
can make a sworn statement - that Of
feet which Is convincing t. tn" collector
Ot internal revenue in thc.r r"Sp"C'lN"
districts can be exempted from penalty.
But tho government has staff Of "N-
perts who can sometimes tell at -
and the return sheet is turned over &"
special Investigators VIII" max" u care.
rul examination Of the case in question:
Correct Tax Returns
The governments aim - {" get cor
rect tax returns: II you nav" wHd
more than you should tn" government
Will call your attention :" Il just as
quickly as If you hav" paid too Nr!".
The secretary OF IN" treasury ana 'N'
commissioner Of internal revenue az"
authorized 20 accept comprom!S" settle
mcnts Whcr" there is plainly nu iu,,u-
ton 20 dcCraud tho government and
where the mistake - simply ON" "i
computation, compromises ar" hHlI} "'-
ing accepted.
Hundreds or millions o. dollars a."
collected that way. And VA" 'mrur'du',
Of IL IS this: so ions as tn" E"N'rrm'",
doesn't get all the money ii has 's'i-
mated would be given - y h. iHNHJ'-
crs. lust 50 long must 'aN"S hr kept ~
high levels IN order 20, pay national
debts. Any ono who "vadrs h!S 'H>'a,
therefore. imposes burden "n hrs
neighbor It prniougs hu'h tn" r"rl"d
OF taxation az we'll as III" "rn "r ulrh
Fully $4,000 people arc smrl"y"d hN
the United States government TO- rh"'A
up income tax returns. Thr"" 'h"u'nrh
are in Washington and 2.n"n Ia -"
fold or the 1900 others. Ia" ma i"l
NV are engaged throughout the l'ur 49,
the task uC getting information about
taXpaycrS. II Is an intensive study 80
zach r.ucrarh'cal uuIt Of population o..
tho United States by IN" mot '!nl''lr'
statistical system over d'}r'rh 'F"H
more SO IN some respects 'hau tr' ,....
sue. have just ""mpl'''d q ii-' band
study OF the iurum" tx ma" han'r'
Really. tax dodgers hdR" I'r' '''."
Income tax inspectors hnv" a,,,ps Zoo.
stat" and county records wh'r" hu'.
ness transactions OF transfers. Of ''l
Kinds are rilcd. They have ayailIhl. %
they wish. all hr"i"raEc account
They can tell hy Investigation. aud iH''
are doing L all ;hc tune. just how Wu'H
money 4 ~. u mad" ON tn" s'"ck marie
and whether he EaN" tn" government
the proper share.
Getting the Evidence.
The process - not merely t. ln'"~'t-
gate each man. That would tth" '"n
long. But each hr"k"rac" firm. Tor "a
stance, must show how much u has
paid t. iudtN iduaiS ia "NrrSS a.; $50"
II must SHOW how much 3udlEduuS
have paid to In" Brokerage finn. Thr
government trhulHiUrs simply collect
XII the information ahuut john Su3h
which comes from BUSINESS firms or go.
dlytdHHls IN all PARTS Of ~" country. IT.
formation about . itN payer mIch' ,"lu'
one day fr"u, Seattle ard the next 'rrlr
Boston. i.N,mtuHil' - .s dI rE' iu-
g,.tir," - '!r 'tl' r' lr'u Nulfh H'h
'n" ,Nart .dd',..s 81 'uo -ni l.'.m
Smltu. aud a. me-, s,lr. l.v H,'"l ol ilr1