The New York herald., 1921-03-15
FEDERAL INCOME
TAX MUST BEPAD
BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Collector Edwards Estab-
fishes Branch Offices for
MI Late Returns.
DECREASE IN LEyIES
Numaer Of On-TaXable In
comes Vastly Greater
Thap One Year Ago.
MISTAKES IN EVIDENCE
Many Send State Tax to Fed
eral Collector Instead Of to
New York Comptroller.
DECREASE IN LEVIES
MISTAKES IN EVIDENCE

eral Collector Instead Of to
New York Comptroller.
This is the last day for fling 1920
income tax returns and tho returns
must be accompanied by a remittance
for At least one quarter Of the amount
due 10 Uncle sam. Only severe illness.
absence from the country, or other
legitimate excuse, upon which Col
lector William RI. Edwards may grant
a thirty day extension, will prevent
the accumulation OF penalty II ones
return and remittance are not de-
posted with the Collector or in the
mails before midnight tonight.
There was the usual endless stream
of taxpayers calling at Collector Ed
wards's Office yesterday. big Bill
kept his office open and his staff on
hand till midnight and win do the
same tonight 70 take care Of the last
minute contributors. On the ground
floor of the Custom House, where APP
nications are received for blank re
turns the crowd kept coming and
going all day and through the night.
Upstairs OH The sixth floor, where the
Collectors office i situated, the scene
was duplicated. big Bill' had large
staff Of experts on hand TO assist the
uninitiated in making their returns
He had a staff Of notaries there 70 adj
minister the necessary oath and dldn
charge anything for the service. One
young notary was reapng harvest
charging % cents for the service until
Deputy Collector Duffy discovered him
and had him elected from the building,
BraDch omces open To-day.
Mr Edwards urgently requests tnat
wherever possible taxpayers to-day
take advantage OF the branch offices that
have been BEEN established ut 80 LenoN
ayenue. 206 West Eifty-eighth street, lao
West Thlrty-fourth street and Union
sauare At all those places there VIII
~ experts on hand all day to-day 70
assist in he proper preparation or re-
turns.
The outstanding feature OF the returns
that have been coming in, according 70
Collector Edwards, IS the vastly m
creased number of non-taxable returns
that are being received. These are not,
Is might b. supposed. confined entirely
Il the smaller taxpayers, but include
returns from persons who previously
have paid a fairly stable amount. An
example OF this was a return received
yesterday from the proprietor or boot
blacS stand. who reported gross reVe-
nue. for the year of Sl0.933, but whose
return showed tax due Of ! cent.
The opposite extreme was ercoun-
tered when middle aged man appeared
In person before the Collector and
wanted to know how much he should
nay. FIe confided the fact that he had
IN incoce 81 $4,000 for the year. was
married and had six children. We'll
YOU better 20 home and forget T." Col
lector Bill advised him.
sends Two Thin Dimes.
TIC freak communication of the day
arrived in the morning mail and was
signed. with the initials ID. J. s. The
writer Informed the Collector that he al
ready had made his return and sent It In.
but had omitted to include the tax on
some money he won at rattle. He de-
ciared he could not remember Just how
much ne won. but thought 20 cents
would cover the tax and enclosed two
thin dimes.
Quite number OF taxpayers are
making a mistake that IL causing the
Collectors office a needless amount Of
trouble. Although II has been well ex-
planned. there seems to be considerable
number OF people who are under the
- 90 IA Y
Is paid TO the Federal Collector. Many
or them have enclosed their State tax
return and included the amount due
10 the State Comptroller In their remit
tance to the Custom House. As 4 matter
or fact. the state tax f. not due until
April is and Is payable 70 the Comp
troller OF the state OF New York.
At the General Post office In Park
Row, at the branch in the Custom
House and every uptown branch office
ong lines of men and women stood az
day waiting their turn to purchase
money orders FOR the amount duo the
Government. The express companies
reported similar conditions.
Emergency Force ON Duty.
III Collector Edwards's office au atae~.
gcncy force of sixty-five clerks from the
Federal reserve Bank were cON1tflpl'n
10 handle the vast amount OF Incoming
mail and to sort checks and other forms
n paper remittances. Yesterdays was
tho largest crowd seen at the Custom
House since the income tax was estab-
llshed, and Il IL likely that to-day's
scene will probably eclipse yesterdays.
Deputy Collectors and attendants he'd
their hands fun keeping the contributors
IN line and patience was NJ a premium.
When some Of the taxpayers grow petu-
liant over the delay and complained that
they had been away from work too long
~ Il wac. the attendants tried 70 reas-
sure them by remarking that there WAS
4 small chance Of an employer com
planning when an employee had 20 good
m excuse.
One OF the notable extensions that
Collector Edwards granted yesterday
was for Enrico Caruso. whose Illness has
prevented his making his return There
was always friendly rivalry between
Caruso and John Mccormack as % witch
paid the larger tax. but the publlcs
Interest In this respect this year ls hot
likely TO be gratihed unless Tho singers
see NJ to make announcement later "
rARUso IMPROVING STEADILY.