The New York herald., 1922-03-16
LOCAL RETURNS DROP
TO ONLY $42,153,562
Receipts in First Quarter OF
1921 Exceeded $40, 900, 600.

Officials OF the Internal heNeHue ~
partment checked up the income TAX
returns shortly before midnight at the
Custom House and were amazed 10 tind
that payments in this district so far
amounted TO only $42. 1882. as COM
pared with mora than s7o.0OO,ooo an
nounced on the night Of March 10 last
year.
A decrease OF perhaps 20 per cent in
taxes received had been expected. but
nobody was prepared for the evident
falling off of 40 per cent. It was be-
lieved that the eleventh hour rush
would bring the total up. but the fig
ures showed that only $22.394,864 was
1 received yesterday, as against S54.o0O,-
900 received on March l5 last year.
Translated into terms OF public Sig
nifieance, the decrease means that In
comes in general have been smaller dur
ing the last year than any one dared
believe 1t will take several days ac-
curately TO compile the returns in this
district, but enough is known already
TO indicate beyond doubt that the falling
off in incomes for last year was greater
by far than for the previous year.
Record in Quantity of Mail.
Despite the astonishing decrease In the
amount of taxes paid. the mail received
at the Custom House far surpassed any
other year. The offices were swamped
and the extra clerks had all they could
attend to until late last night. This fact
indicates that more people are making
returns this year. but that the returns
shawong a tax due are fewer than ever
before.
1T looks like nearly every other re-
turn has no taxes due" said Frank X.
Bowers. Collector of Internal Revenue.
The total amount of revenues paid
into the United States Treasury last
year through the local office was $685.
900. .Go0 or about one-fifth of the total
paid in from all other parts OF the
country IL the revenues received sc
far this year. with particular attention
TO the decrease in income taxes. is an
accurate indication. then the Federal
revenues from this district Will show a
falling off of perhaps 80 per cent.
The trend in the last few years ha
been Enthusiastically toward more returns
and less taxes per individual For ex-
ample In 1920 535. 900 returns were filed
for a total or s644.940. 900. or an average
tax Of Sligo. In 1921 S00 600 returns
were filed for a total OF s426. S72, 900. or
an average tax OF $3.50. IL is doubtful
on the face of the figures given out last
night whether the returns filed this
year will total more than s275,000. 600
and perhaps not that much.
Special stan of Helpers.
Several hundred persons went to the
Custom House last night to make out
their returns The number was much
smaller than last year but there was a
marked increase in the amount Of mail
received. Mr.. Bowers said the crowds
at the Custom House were greater last
Monday than on any day since then.
Mr.. Bowers kept his own force of
office help. numbering 322. at work until
midnight. In addition he had a special
staff OF sixty-fve helpers and there
were sixty-five more clerks and experts
from the Federal Reserve Bank who
checked up on the figures and attended
70 transferring the money TO 12o Broad
way
More requests for extensions have
been received this year than ever before.
Last midnight was the deadline for
filing returns. Failure TO submit re-
turn in time carries a penalty OF not
more than 81. 900 and a further penalty
of % per cent. OF the tax, unless the
taxpayer later files a return and II Is
shown that the delay was due to a
reasonable cause and not to willful neg
lect Refusal to file a return carries a
penalty OF not more than $1,000 and
one year in prison