The Washington times., 1921-03-14
CROWDS RUSH
T0PAY TAXES
Eleventh-Hour Crush Is Heavy,
With Thousands More Fig
uring Exemptions.

Washington is suffering from a
new epidemic. It's called "exemp-
TONS" More than 5000 cases are
being reported daily, and today and
tomorrow fully 10000 cases are ex-
pected to be reported. Everybody
has EN-.
EPIDEMIC WILL DIE.
However. Harry M. Fridley. deputy
tax collector OF Internal Revenue for
the District of Columbia reports that
while all seek to reduce the amount
paid Uncle Sam the situation is we'll
in hand, and declares that the
epidemic will have died out by mid
night tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the last day for the
fling OF income tax returns and the
office OF the Internal Revenue Bureau
422 Pennsylvania avenue northwest,
will be open from o'clock in the
morning until midnight in order that
tax returns may be filed.
As early as o'clock this morning
hundreds of people had formed In
line waiting for the collectors office
to open SO they could pay their
taxes. The line continued to grow
all day and at noon, fully 500 people
were in line waiting their turn to
get in. In order to enable thousands
of Government employees to pay their
taxes. the office will be open this
evening until 6 o'clock.
All persons failing to file q tax re-
turn by midnight tomorrow will be
fined % per cent additional Of the
amount due. All returns should be
accompanied by at least one-fourth Of
the amount of tax due.
CRUSH IS ANTICIPATED.
Anticipating the large last minute
rush. Collector Fridley has obtained
the services OF more than twenty
deputy collectors who are sworn in
as notary publica In this way resi-
dents OF the District may save the rs
or 50-cent notary public fee by bring
ing their returns to collector Frid-
ley's office, where any one OF the
deputy collectors will administer the
necessary oath without any charge.
Taxpayers are asked by the collec-
tors office to be sure and fill in the
front sheet of the return and to sign
IL. They are also asked to have the
necessary amount of money ready In
order to expedite the work and to en-
able the collectors to handle the large
the corps of clerks and deputy collec-
tors in filling out the rest of the re-
turn other than the front page.
Numerous inquiries in regard to de-
auctions allowed in making out the
income tax return for the year 1920
have reached collectors of internal
revenue.
REDUCTIONS PROVIDED.
The revenue act OF 1918 provides
for the deductions Of taxes on real
estate and personal property, but
expressly excludes deductions of in
come, war profts taxes and taxes
assessed against local benefits of
kind rendering to increase the value
of the property assessed. Various
items of taxes levied by the revenue
act of 1918 such as taxes on admis-
sions and dues, transportation, soft
drinks, etc. are allowable deductions.
Taxpayers claiming such deductions.
however. must keep some record OF
such taxes paid; a mere estimate will
not be sufficient
on certain businesses. such as those
assessed upon brokers, ship brokers.
customhouse brokers. proprietors OF
amusements and concert halls, cir
cuses and other public exhibitions,
bowling alleys, billiard rooms and
shooting galleries, riding academies.
passenger automobiles for hire, brew
ers. distillers and liquor dealers.
manufacturers of tobacco and manu-
facturers OF cigars and cigarettes
The Bureau of Internal Revenue
desires to impress upon taxpayers
that claims for all these various de-
auctions for taxes must be supported
by some form of record.
The period for filing income re-
turns ends March Is. Heavy penalties
are provided by the revenue act for
failure or willful refusal to fle a re-
turn and pay the tax by midnight of
that date.