The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-02-05
INCOME TAXPAYERS
NUMBER MILLIONS
MILLIOSNS OF LABORERS NOW
PAYING INCOME TAXES is
GOVERNMENT REPORT

come taxes are no longer the 'arlstro-
Gratis of labor" according to William
n. Edwards, United States Internal
Revenue Collector for the second and
third districts of New York, in whose
districts this year more than $1,5OO,-
100000 will be gathered up for Uncle
Sam.
High wages and profitable overtime
says Mr.. Edwards, have raised to the
income tax paying list such workers
as longshoremen, garment makers,
naper hangers, railroad brakemen,
chauffeurs, sailors, truck drivers and
piano movers "And don't forget the
chorus girls, the movie stars, and the
hotel walters" declared the collector,
adding that some OF the latter are ma
king more than $4,000 year in tips
alone.
Street car conductors and motor
men in Brooklyn, for instance, he said,
have made as much as $50 a week, if
their yearly income exceeds $1,000 for
a single man or $4,000 for the head
of a family, they will be required to
contribute their share toward the cost
of running the government. Mr.. Ed
wards cited few instances without,
of course, mentioning any names, OF
bootblacks, milkwagon drivers and
belIboys who in 1919 earned in excess
of their exemption and who will be re-
uuired to file returns.
Payment of the income tax began
on January l and will continue until
midnight of March Is at which time
all returns must be in to escape the
possibility of a maximum of $1,000 fine
for delinquency. While Collector Ed
wards was opening his mail the other
day out fell check for 1883, 515.39,
representing the payment OF cor
poration tax with penalty and inter-
est. The next letter he opened was
from Montclair, N. j., which is also
in his district. 1t has been registered
to pay an income tax of $1.37.
A recent caller at the collectors
office was a woman whose net income
was IS cents. Her tax amounted to
four cents. She wanted to know if
she would be permitted to make the
payments Quarterly" When told she
could she smiled and said she guessed
she would pay it all at once and hand
ed over four shining pennies and took
her receipt. Another patriotic citizen
showing that he had no income which
was subject to taxation. At the bot
tom of his return was the following
notation: mo tax due but would like |
to pay some tax and enclose check for |
$500"
Collector Edwards said that, under |
the law, he was not permitted to ac-
cept the check but that he forwarded |
it to Commissioner Roper in Washing
ton to dispose of as he saw fit. This +!
year the income tax rate is less than |
last, Mr.. Edwards said, the normal |
rate being 90 on the first $4,000 |
of net income above the exemption and
8 per cent on the remaining net in
come instead of and II per cent as
in 1918.
"Offhand,v said the collector, zone
would hardly think that a longshore-
man came within the requirements of
the income tax law. Certainly he did
not a few years ago when many of
them found it hard to make living
In the past year or two, however, many
longshoremen have been making from
$4,000 to $4,000 a year.
"The income tax also hits some
members of the theatrical profession
pretty hard. Some of these actors,
including motion picture stars, per
haps make as high as 5000 and $500 a
week for six months in the year. They
live we'll and by the time their income
tax payment is due may be out of an
They are confronted
with a good-sized tax without any i'm
mediate means. 1t is then up to them
% get it.
"Last year my investigators found
many diamond merchants have been
1oing business in this country four or
i've years without paying taxes. We
got after them and increased our re-
urns by more than $1,000, 000 Some
If the actresses who were delinquent
asst year said they did not pay becf Use
hey could not figure out just how
much they were exempt because of the
ost of their gowns, taXicabs and 9TH
II Injuries. A 80 percent penalty was
imposed because of their failure to pay +
When the taxes were due.
Income taxes said the collector,
should be figured as a liability just
S insurance interest on a mortgage
r your winters coal bill. Then when {
he time comes for payment it will not 3
e a hardship. Nearly 10000 persons ),
yere fined last year for failure to file !,
eturns. A certain Stockbroker made 3
100000. He filed his return showing 3
tax of $4,000. He defraulted in his 3
ayment, however, and in a personal &
lterview with me, said he didn't have &
he money. A 5 per cent penalty was 4
imposed and he hustled around and 4
OF the money. His failure to provide &
)r the tax cost him lust $4,000" y
The second and third New York =
istricts, Mr.. Edwards said raise .
lore than one quarter of the total 3
mount collected throughout the en- 3
re United States q
Dollars and Cents. &