Evening star., 1925-03-16
MUST WAIT
ION TAX PUBLICITY
Records of Latest Returns
May Not Be Open for
Several Months.

AS the great army of belated Amer
lean taxpayers was iscrambling to get
| its 1924 income tax returns in the
hands of the Government before the
penalty falls this midnight, 1t was
learned al the Treasury that the fig
ures from these records, which under
the new revenue law must be opened
to public inspection. and the publica-
tion of which recently raised ma
tion-wide sensation. will not be ready
for an indefinite time, probably sew
era months Two cases to deter
mine publication rights are pending
before the Supreme Court of the
United States.
"As soon as practicable was the
,, official pronouncement concerning the
proba BILE time when these much
sought-after tax lists will be opened.
To handle the great mass of returns,
to properly file them under the sys-
tenn in use in collectors offices
throughout the country. and prepare
the lists which themselves will be
unlocked to public gaze viii probably
take several weeks, at least, and, IT
was estimated. might take several
months.
Will Copy Figures.
The income tax return papers
which have been filed by the public
during the quarter will not be re-
vealed to public inspection them
,, selves, but some of the figures con-
tained thereon will be copied to
other records, and IL is these records
which Will he opened.
When the Treasury is ready for
such inspection, which is expected to
cause another sensation, perhaps of
| less excitement than the first, there
will be an official announcement, IL
| was said.
Whether newspapers and other
| publications will be permitted to print
the incomes and taxes paid on these
| incomes. as was done during the
, past year, will be determined by
| the Supreme Court of the United
| States, in the cases now pending
there.
Crowd Not Large.
Contrary TO expectations the local
[ Office of the deputy collector OF in
| ternal revenue, at 1922 Pennsylvania
| avenue. was not overcrowded this
morning, on the opening of the last
| day on which returns are due. The
time limit under the law was extend
| ed from midnight last night until
midnight tonight.
! Large crowds were expected i'm
| mediately after the Government de-
| partments close this evening at -?
| One reason for the fact that the
| crowd on the last day did not promise
| to be as large as in past years was
| believed to be because Washingto-
| mans, since early in January. have
| been going in a steady stream to the
| local office. An unusually large
number of returns, il was believed,
| had been filed from local territory be-
| fore the last few days.
sixty ON Duty.
| A force of about 60 persons was
| taking care of the last-day crowds at
| the local office and throughout several
local banks and stores.
To be sure that returns reach the
Government in time, II was said by
| some officials that Washingtonians had
| best file late returns today at the local
| Office. although provision in the law
gives opportunity for returns by mail
I filed in time to reach the collector be-
| fore midnight tonight. The collector
| for this District being in Baltimore,
| instead of Washington, however. it was
said that late returns this evening or
tonight. in order technically to get
| within the law should be filed locally