Connecticut western news., 1921-03-03
NORTH CANAAN PAYS
 LARGEST TAX PER CAPITA
Winchester and Litchfield Lead
 in Amount of Intangibles ! Reported

It would be hardly fair to say that there are only three honest towns in the county, but it certainly makes one stop and think after looking over the list of the various towns in the county and seeing the amount of bonds, notes and other intangi- bles reported. Winchester leads with Litchfield second and this town third. This town however pay the largest tax per capita in the county.
 Figures indicating that millions of dollars are annually withheld from the state of Connecticut by the fail ure of a large percentage of resi- dents to pay the mill tax on taxable bonds, notes or other intangibles were made public by Tax Commits sioner Blodgett. It was also shown that approximately $111,000 more than necessary was paid in taxes on S6,947,319 of such securities because the holders paid through the towns in which they live rather than to the state direct. ..>
 Owing to the fact that there is no central authority to require owners of such taxable intangibles to report their holdings, the average amount per capita acknowledged by Con- necticut residents to be invested in such securities and therefore ass essed is only $96.16 and varies as much as $1,749 per capita in differ ent towns, according to the last available figures compiled in the tax department and announced for the first time. The average per capita investment acknowledged by Hartford residents is $154.26 as against $11O.59 for New Haven, $59.O1 for Waterbury, $171.71 for New London, $34.90, for Bridgeport, s831.92 for Pomfret, $600.82 for North Canaan, $422.10 for Litch- field and $1,749.64 for the little town of Willington. No one in Bolton, Killingworth, or Salem, ac- knowledged owning any such securi- ties.
 The tax commissioner pointed out that the present law taxing intan- gibles is much like passing the hat" for revenue, as the state is able to assess only such securities as are held by people who are willing to come forward voluntarily and report what their holdings are. The com missioner stated his belief that the present session of the Legislature would either take steps to bring about a complete collection of the revenue to which it is entitled under this tax law or would adopt the al ternative of a personal income tax.
 The Connecticut law leaves it op- tional with the holders of taxable intangibles to pay taxes on them to the state or to the towns in which the holders live. Those who choose to register such securities with the state treasurer get the benefit of the state rate of 4 mills, whereas those who make return through their re- spective towns are required to pay at the existing tax rate in such towns, the average of which is about 20 mills, plus. The fact that the total of such intangibles assessed locally last year was $6,947,319, costing the holders on the average 16 mills or
 
 to pay indicates that. there are many people who lack familiarity with the law, which .exempts intangibles from all other assessments if the mill tax is paid to the state direct.
 Instances of tax evasion are ire quently brought to the tax commis- sioner's attention in the inventories of estates, and the state imposes a tax of 2 per cent for each of the five years after persons death on all taxable property of an estate upon which no city or town tax has been assessed or state tax paid dur ing the year preceding >he decedent's death.
 No, of Intangibles Amount
 Persons Returned for Der
 Registered Taxation Capita