Evening journal., 1921-08-15
IN NO RUSH TO
PAY income TAX.
This Last Day For Married
Men to Pony Up $40 :
More
ATTORNEY-GENERAE .
MAY ENTER SUITS

Today is the last allowed by State
Treasurer George NJ. Fisher for.
many married Delawareans to pay
the additional State income tax as
sessed against them under Attor-s
ney-General Townsend's interpreta-
ton of the amendment passed by
the Legislature in 1919 to the in q
come tax law. The State Treasurer
announced that taxables who ave
not paid the additional levy OF x1O@
upwards by today will be sued by
the attorney-general's department.
Attorney-General Townsend had not
arrived in Wilmington up to early
ihls afternoon and so far as could be
learned he had entered no suits to- .
day. Judging from the attitude of
the delinquent taxables, he may
have to enter many suits.
1t is pointed out that the effort tn
collect the additional $40 or more
from those who made returns is un- .
fair, in that many married men who
did not make returns because the
$4,000 exemption lowered their nett
incomes below $1,000. really are
liable to payment Of the tax. There
is no way to reach them, however. .
as they did not make returns to the
State Treasurer, and they will es-
cape payment Of the tax, although :
married men who did make returns
will have to pay.
A large number of notices from
the State Treasurer's office was con-
! tanned in the mails during the past
week, and they brought forth "a
storm of protest from their recipi-
ents. many of whom are ignoring
the implied threat that prosecutions
Will follow If payment is not made
in fifteen days.
One Wilmington married man who.
has received notice to pay the ad-
ditional sum claimed by the State
Treasurer as a result of the amends
ed Interpretation OF the amended
State income tax law. as given by
Attorney General Townsend. is credA
/ tied with the assertion that he would
go to jail rather than pay another
cent more on his 1919 tax. 1.
He said he has been informed that
''the actual figures of the income tax
paid this year, for incomes accrued
last year, were something like the
following: Wilmington, $4,000;
rural New Castle county, s14.OOO;.
Kent county. $4,000; Sussex county.
$4,000. It's plain from these figures
that while Wilmington has only
one-half the population OF the entire
State, it is footing practically nine
tenths OF the State income tax Ura-
der these conditions do you think
I'm going to come across with an
extra tax when I've already been
fool enough to do my bit?"
The Legislature in 1919, when II
found that the first income tax law,
levying an income tax of one per
cent on all incomes above $1,000,
whether or not the taxpayer was a.
married man, appeared unjust,
amended the tax to place the ex-
emption figure at $4,000 for married.
men. The then Attorney General,
David ]. Reinhardt. was asked
TO decide whether the amended
law would apply to taxes ac-
cruing in 1919 and he decided that
the law as amended did apply to
l1919. Under this decision incomes
Of all married men up to $1,000 were
exempt from taxation.
Subsequently the State Treasurer
asked Attorney General Townsend,
who had since come into office. to
give his opinion on the subject.
His Interpretation of the law entire
ly reversed the opinion given by his
pred ecessor. Acting on the strength
of this decision the State Treasurer
has gone over his books. listed all
who paid the tax in 1919 and is now
requiring the added tax Of at least
$40 for the extra $1,000 OF exemption
then allowed TO married men.