Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-22
FULLBR|GHT URGES
COMPLETE REVISION
Of STATE TAX LAWS

Henry j. Fullbright, state tax
commissioner of Georgia, and a vet
eran member of the legislature pre-
vious to his tenure of his present
office. lays great emphasis in his
annual report to the legislature upon
the need for a complete revision of
the tax laws of Georgia.
He recommends the adoption of
the plan worked out by the special
tax commission whose report Was
submitted to the Legislature at the
1919 session. That plan provided for
the classification Of property accord
ing to it's kind. for the making of
different rates of taxation upon diff
ferent classes of property, for an
income tax, and for certain changes
in the inheritance taxes then and
now existing. The legislature raised
the rate OF inheritance taxes, which
the commission recommended, but
did not adopt the other recommen-
dations. They involved constitution
al amendments.
If the plan as submitted and as
now before the legislature is not &C
ceptable recommends Commissioner
Fullbright, there should be created
another tax commission to study the
subject and make a report. He re-
marks, however, that the previous
tax commission devoted months Of
study to taxation, worked out plan
embodying the best features of the
most progressive state tax systems
in the country, and held public hear
! ings throughout the state.
Commissioner Fullbright shows, by
| way of illustrating what he terms
| the failure of the existing tax sys-
tenn, that the total assessed value Of
real estate and personal property in
! Georgia is only So per cent of it's
actual value, and that Sc of the 155
counties are even lower than So per
cent. In this connection he has
worked out and is undertaking to
| digests an equalization scale that
will bring them up to something
like a uniform percentage of assess
ments to actual value.
He shows that the total amount
| of money on hand, including bank
deposits, and the total notes, ac-
counts and other evidences of debt,
returned for taxation on January l.,
| 1919, was sos. 582,326; whereas on
that date there was on deposit in
Atlanta banks alone. according to
| their statements, total of $50, 000.-
! 600. He estimates that the total in
tangible property of Georgia escap-
ing taxation is not less than $780,
| 100000, or nearly as much as the to-
| tai returned value of the real estate
of the state, which was $685., 1928, $50
in 1919. (The tax digests for 1920
are not yet completely
Commenting upon the necessity
for general revision of the states
tax laws, Commissioner Fullbright
says:
should be revised and our systems
of taxation modernized. If the gen.
eral plan recommended by the spe-
| cial tax commission in 1919 is not
adopted at the 1920 session, then
provision should be made for the APP
| pointment of another tax commits
sion to continue the work of inves-
tigating revenue laws. in order that
the matter may be given the con-
sideration which it's Importance de-
mands.
mo government can be main
tanned without revenues, no state can
maintain it's institutions without
funds. If the state of Georgia is
to continue it's policy of main tanning
| free schools for the education of its
children. and furnishing pensions to
Confederate soldiers and their wild
ows. as we'll as maintaining the -elee-
| mosynary institutions, then it's reve-
nues must be adequately provided,
and should be raised by law in keep
ing with the conditions of the pres
ent time.
"Our uniform and ad valorem sys-
tenn having failed for a number OF
years to supply the revenue for the
states absolute requirements, has
| been supplemented by the levy Of
special license fees and other reve-
nus of more or less doubtful legality.
All interests which enjoy the protec-
| ton of the state should pay their
/ just proportion of the expenses Of
| government. Some equitable and
| just method should be found for tax
| ing what is known as intangible
property. and make it contribute to
| the state just as tangible, visible
properly is now taxed. Under the
existing law there is no distinction,
but in practice it is quite apparent
that very little of this class of prop
erty ever gets on the tax books"