The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-30
SIX YEAR PROBE
ON INCOME TAX
Eleven Field Officials to
be Put to Work Follow
ing Session.
BLAINE MAY sign
Commission Expects to Add
Thousands of Dollars to
States Receipts.
(By Associated Presa)

Madison The Wisconsin tax COM
mission is given authority to investi-
gate income reports of corporations
and individuals in the state over a
period of six years, and is provided
with an appropriation of $4,000 an
nually to prosecute this work, as a
result of enactment of two bills by the
special session of the legislature, which
are expected to be signed by Governor
Blaine today
Eleven field auditors Of the commits
sion will now be placed in the field
permanently to probe returns made by
the larger concerns of the state with
view to recovering additional unreport-
ed taxes for the soldiers bonus fund
and soldiers educational bonus fund
and the general income tax fund, 1000
of which goes to the cities, 20@o to the
counties and 1919 to the state.
Expect Hundreds or Thousands.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars of
additional tax will be paid into the
treasury through the Investigations to
be put under way, the tax commission
believes. Special attention will be paid
to the income reports of corporations
for the years 1917, 1918 and 1919, the
war period when earnings were excep-
tionally large.
1t is pointed out by tax commission
ers that corporations which during
that time made large profits and failed
to report them to the state, and which
now are in difficult financial straits,
will still be responsible for full pay
ment of the delinquent taxes. Under
another measure passed by the special
session, their assessment will be
doubled where it is evident that at
tempt has been made to withhold re-
port of earnings.
Stockholders Held Liable.
Where corporations have gone into
bankruptcy, still owing taxes to the
state, stockholders are liable for full
payment, the tax commission reports.
The commission plans sweeping in
vestigation now that broad authority
has been granted it by the legislature.
From the returns of field investiga-
tors, it is expected by Gov. Blaine that
sufficient funds will be made available.
to permit construction of the Wiscon-
sin General hospital on which estab-
lishment Of a four medical course at
the University of Wisconsin depends.
Already $750,000 Of the $1,350,000
needed to complete this project is avail
able from the service recognition fund,
and with additional income returns it
is believed that the new state hospital
can be definitely assured for the next
year.
Judge Charles D. Rosa, member of
the tax commission, told the legisla-
ture that in the first two months of
1922 Investigators of the commission
with an expenditure of $4,000 returned
over $122,000 in additional revenue to
the state. With the six-year provision
applying, he expects that several hun
bred thousand dollars in unreported
revenue will be added to the state and
treasures.
Legislators expect chat increased
funds for income tax Investigation
work will likely be appropriated to the
tax commission at the next regular
session should their present probe re-
suit in the discovery of large amounts
of additional revenue.