The Devils Lake world., 1922-11-22

Nave Not Made Return on Income
Almost 100000, 600 Collected Last
Tear In Delinquent Income Taxes-
Disoruntisd sookkeepers Often Give
Valuable Hints-Every Clue. Run
Down That Promises Revenue.
Uncle Sam now keeps 10000 per-
1oos busy rounding up internal rev.
anue taxes due each year from Amer
fcan taxpayers. says the New York
Herald.
In ten years the number Of taxpay-
srs has grown from 100000 to 9OOO,-
900, largely because of the income tax
NV.
Upward of 100000 personal tax re-
onrns filed with the internal revenue
Bureau each year set forth taxpayers
obligations to the federal government.
Income taxes last year represented
nhree-fourths of the $4,000 100000 col
oected by the nations revenue force.
The government believes it has an
Airtght system to insure payment Of
N tax liability of its citizens Revenue
Commissioner David II. Blair declared
shat the number of tax evaders are
relatively few, and they become fewer
with each passing year.
The governments policy toward will
e1l income tax evaders is to pursue
them relentlessly. A systematic meth
I'd is followed by the internal revenue
Bureau in checking up returns. When
there are indications that the govern
0ent has been defrauded special
agents are detailed to make investiga-
lions and these sometimes lead to
Brand jury indictments.
$500, ,ooo, 900 Recovered Last Year.
Nearly S30o,Oo0,0oO was paid into
she treasury last year in delinquent
1hcome taxes. This sum represented
Ryments by those who either had fal-
sffied their Income tax returns and
Were heavily penalized, or by those
Who were guilty only Of excusable er-
sors and were invited to meet addi-
4oDal assessments which We're levied.
In drives to round up income taxes
Dd prevent frauds Commissioner
Hairs staff includes corps Of skilled
Investigators, commanded by Chief Ell
ner Trey, and these men, together with
4O00 field agents. cover the country
Hike blanket in the detection Of in
oeme tax delinQuents. Innumerable
sources for rounding up income tax
deinquents are at the bureaus COM
Uand.
Information gathered at the source"
d varied ways enables the government
% determine the individuals liability.
Records supplied to the bureau show
aA sums of $1,000 and more paid by all
Individuals, trustees, guardians and
0ther 1duciaries and by partnerships
and corporations. Thousands of file
0ses bear data relating to the status
q both individuals and corporations.
Anonymous complaints mark the
Dfarting point Of large number Of
the governments tax investigations.
Sometimes these complaints prove
poundless. The latter percentage Of
them, however, show up discrepancies
u tax returns already made or reveal
wtl6ul attempts to beat the govern
0ent, according to revenue officials.
Nief notes sent to the internal rev.
enue bureau with tip that ut might
90 interesting to look into Mr.. Blanks
bcOme" have In thousands of cases
uncovered taxes that might have been
lost to the government.
Sometimes Give Valuable Hints.
Disgruntled bookkeepers have fur.
a1shed complaints that have led to the
collection Of millions Of dollars In ad.
ditional revenue. Complaints from
such sources as these in many In
stances have developed that large cor
Dorations which have made returns
Fave juggled their books to deceive the
government. Such attempts are quick
y shown up after Investigation.
The biggest tax welchers in tht
United States, revenue officials said
are bootleggers.
In several large cities revenue agent,
1ave uncovered liquor frauds that re
suited in the collection of several mil
A01s in taxes, revenue assessment
and penalties. In one city where tn
Bqu0r traffic was controlled by grou]
e . half dozen men, all wealthy ant
Dolitically influential, revenue agent
developed 16 tax fraud cases. collectet
2,OO0.000 in taxes due on income a
shown by suddenly accumulated hold
hg. In cases thus developed revenu
agents found important "leads" to ott
q tax frauds among wealthy bootlel
Rers in score Of cities.
It is not difficult for the govern
Dent's agents to ascertain the exten
q profits made by the larger bootleg
gers. Suspects are quickly run dow
after revenue men get on the trai
n is difficult for them to cloak the
profits by depositing money in bank
under assumed names.
Every Clue Run Down.
Every clue given to the internal re
snue bureau is run down. None
overlooked, though it often happer
complaints have been made by M