The daily star-mirror., 1922-10-21
SAYS FEW ELUDE
TAX COLLECTOR
Commissioner Blair Claims Sys-
TEN Is Almost Alright.
BOOTLEGGERS MADE TO PAY

DUUILEU0EnS mAUc III fA
Delinquent often Betray Others VIII
Have Not Made Return on Income
Almost 100000, 900 Collected Las
Year In Delinquent Income Taxes
DisgruntIed Bookkeepers Often Civ
Valuable Hints-Every Clue Rui
Down That Promises Revenue.
Uncle Sam now keeps 10000 per
sons busy rounding up internal rev
enue taxes due each year from Amer
lean taxpayers, says the New YOrl
Herald.
In ten years the number of taxpay.
ers has grown from 100000 to 9,OOO,-
OOO largely because Of the income tar
law.
Upward of 5,OOOOOO personal tax re-
turns filed with the internal revenue
bureau each year set forth taxpayers
obligations to the federal government.
Income taxes last year represented
three-fourths Of the $4,000, 100000 col
lected by the nations revenue force
The government believes it has an
alright system to insure payment Of
all tax liability of its citizens Revenue
Commissioner David FL. Blair declared
that the number of tax evaders are
relatively few, and they become fewer
with each passing year.
The governments policy toward will
ful income tax evaders Is to pursue
them relentlessly. A systematic meth
cd is followed by the internal revenue
bureau In checking up returns. When
there are indications that the govern
ment has been defrauded special
agents are detailed to make investiga-
tiOns and these sometimes lead to
grand jury indictments.
$500, 900, 900 Recovered Last Year.
Nearly $3O0,OOO,OO0 was paid into
the treasury last year in delinquent
income taxes. This sum represented
payments by those who either had fal-
Stf1ed their income tax returns and
were heavily penalized, or by those
who were guilty only Of excusable er-
rors and were invited to meet addi-
tional assessments which were levied.
In drives to round up income taxes
and prevent frauds Commissioner
Blair's staff includes a corps Of skilled
Investigators, commanded by Chief Ell
mer Trey, and these men, together with |
1000 field agents. cover the country
like blanket in the detection Of In
come tax delinquents. Innumerable |
sources for rounding up income tax
delinquents are at the bureaus COM
mand.
Information gathered at the source"
In varied ways enables the government
to determine the individuals liability. |
Records supplied to the bureau show
all sums Of 81 900 and more paid by all
individuals, trustees, guardians and
other tiduciaries and by partnerships
and corporations. Thousands of file
cases bear data relating to the status
Of both individuals and corporations.
Anonymous complaints mark the
point of a large number Of
the governments tax investigations.
Sometimes these complaints prove
groundless. The latter percentage Of
hem, however, show up discrepancies
n tax returns already made or reveal
yillful attempts to beat the govern
nent, according to revenue officials.
Brief notes sent to the internal rev. (
nue bureau with a tip that lit might | {
e interesting to look into Mr.. Blanks I
have in thousands Of cases
taxes that might have been
ost to the government.
Sometimes Give Valuable Hints.
Dlsgruntled bookkeepers have fur Z
ished complaints that have led to the q
objection Of millions of dollars in ad- G
itional revenue. Complaints from t
uch sources as these In many in a
.ances have developed that large cor v
orations which have made returns f
ave juggled their books to deceive the Ii
overnment. Such attempts are quick "
shown up after investigation. d
The biggest tax welchers In the b.
nited States, revenue officials said, ST
e bOOtleggers. v,
In several large cities revenue agents p
i've uncovered liquor frauds that re- te
lted In the collection Of several mil
ms in taxes, revenue assessments er
I'd penalties. In one city where the 70
IuOr traffic was controlled by group th
a half dozen men, all wealthy and dc
litically influential, revenue agents th
veloped 16 tax fraud cases, collected us
100000 in taxes due on income as ri,
own by suddenly accumulated hold De
:. In cases thus developed revenue tn
ents found important leads" to 9TH ha
tax frauds among wealthy bootleg
rs in a score Of cities. ov
It is not difficult for the govern ca
nt's agents to ascertain the extent fet
profits made by the larger bootleg thu
IS Suspects are quickly run down Th
er revenue men get on the trail tn,
is difficult for them to cloak their Of
fits by deposlting money in banks the
Ter assumed names. ari
Every Clue Run Down. the
Every clue given to the internal rev. sin
n h1Ivn fc / -