The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1921-12-01
u. S. TAX RECEIPTS
OFF Tsp. c. IN Year
Incomes and Profits Pay $780,
100000 Less Before
June 80 Last.
COLLECTION COST GOES UP
istration Now Takes 81 Cents
on Each 500 Instead of 55-TotaI Is
00o,765-Liquor and Tobac-
CO Excuses Decline.

WashingtOn.-Tax receipts of the
Government during the fiscal year
1921 decreased nearly billion dollars
as compared with the previous year,
and the cost of collection increased 50
cents for each 500, says the annual
report of the Bureau of Internal Rev
enue made public by Commissioner
Blair.
Collection by the bureau in the last
hscal year totalled $4,595, 900, TG5,
against $5,407, 5S0,251 for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1920, a decrease
of $S12,579,4S0, or 10 per cent.
The cost Of administering the inter-
nal revenue laws for the year, the
report said, was $4O,2O3,71G, or 81
cents for each 500 collected, COM
pared with 80 cents for the preceding
year. Included in the expenditures
was S6,S99,4 for the administration
of the prohibition and narcotic laws
and 100000 for the enforcement of
the child labor tax law, which, de-
Quoted from the total, leaves $33, Ia
500, or an equivalent of - cents for
each 500 in taxes collected.
Of the total taxes collected in the
last year income and profits taxes ag-
gregated $3,22S, 1871 ,673, compared with
$3,936,936,003 in 1920 Miscellaneous
collections totalled $1,36GS63 ,O91,
against $1,450,Gf4,2 in 1920.
The principal decreases in these
taxes were; On alcoholic liquors,
SJ1, 241,1 20; tobacco manufactures,
S4O,3S9,9j9; excise taxes, $3S.53S, 121;
corporation capital stocks, ST, 494, 7G7,
and stamp taxes, $11,S79,S13.
These decreases were materially off
set by increases on estate tax, $504OT,-
G91; transportation and telegraph,
Sl2, l64,32G, and admission and dues,
$13,S72,O93.
Collections under the penalty pro-
visions of the national prohibition act
in the year tOtalled $2,152, 3S7. Re-
ceipts from distilled spirits, including
wines, aggregated $50 ,59S,OG5 in 1921,
compared with $97, 90j,275 in 1920.
Fermented liquors produced $25,3G3,
against $41 BOOST.
In the fiscal year 1921 there were
produced from materials other than
fruit 36,365,65S taxable gallons of dis
TILED spirits, a decrease of 1880, 1873
gallons from 1920, while 34903, 134
gallons were removed from bond, IN
increase of 6,IT2,245 gallons over 1920.
Liquids containing more than one
half of one per cent of alcohol pro-
duced at brewerieS and dealcOhOliZing
plants in the year aggregated 1913, 49,
763 gallons, compared with 2S6, 169,-
$50 in the previous year. The guam
tity of cereal beverages containing
less than one-half of one per cent of
alcohol produced during the year az
gregated 2S5, S2J $50 gallons. Pro-
duction of wine and cordials for the
year amounted to 1851 $50 gallons
and at the end of the year there
were 27,604, 1896 gallons in bond, as
compared with 17,617,370 gallons on
June 80, 1920.
Increase in the number of tax col
lection districts from Ga to IA was
recommended by Commissioner Blair
as a means of increasing the efficiency
of the Internal Revenue service. Dur
ing the past ten years, he declared,
the work of the Revenue Bureau has
been entirely transformed and the
number of taxpayers filing returns has
increased from approximately 100000
to a total of 100000 annually.
practically all of the 100000 tax
payers" he said, dealt with collec-
tors of internal revenue but once each
year, while under present laws the
monthly returns required of sales tax
payers, together with the quarterly
payment feature provided for income
taxpayers, necessitate 100000 sep
arate transactions annually"
Mr. Blair also called attention to the
danger of loss by fire of several hun
dred thousand income tax returns and
other irreplaceable papers represent
ing hundreds of millions of dollars in
increased assessments.