Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-08

If YOU are not an income tax
dodser, don't start now.
The odds are 900 to YOU will he
caught. red -ha nded.
That is inside" information. 1T IS
straight. Play safe and square ana
avoid trouble. That's The Govern
ment official warning.
The governments one best bet in
tax fraud detection is authority for
the "tip" to play the tax game fairly.
He is Elmer l.. Trey, chief, lntelli-
gence Unit. Bureau of Internal ReVe-
nue.. lie quotes the odds against the
tax evader. lie knows. His quota
tons are based upon facts anc he-
ures that don't lie. They WORK out
with mathema teal certainty.
You probably belong TO that greater
ma iorj,v of income taxpayers in The
United States who are honest n lax
dealings with the Government. II YOU
are YOU want to know what the Gov
eminent does TO run down the tax
dodger.
But if. percha nee, you catalogue
Yourself in that smaller minority of
evaders who resort to varied devices
to cheat the Government. Tou also
need enlightenment. and ought to ne
convinced that cheating the Govern
ment is losing game.
Cheating Losing Game.
If YOU don't believe it. go with
Chief Trey through the labyrinth Of
channels he has penetrated and view
the moral and financial wrecks that
lie in the wake of income tax wrong
doing. The specter confronting you
summary or financial punishment,
loss of business standing on prestige.
moral and money reNerseS. disgrace
disa ster and even death-standS forth
in tragic outline. as an oblect lesson
And this lesson teach that honesty
with the Government in tax matters
is the best policy. as in every business
ira nsa action in life.
AZ Chief Trey pilots YOU through
the gallery of tax frauds, with Its
astounding maze of chicanery. plot
ting and conspiracy. depicting how
corporate enterprises. men OF millions
In money and the less prosperous hut
well.to-do classes connive and scheme
to rob the Government. you naturally
wonder if the taX-paying system is
not honeycombed with triCkery.
But the sound conclusion drawn by
the Governments key" man in the
viction at length that out of the
ranks of more than 5000 900 taypay-
ers the glaring instances of tax
evasion are exceptional. rather than
general. 1t is these exceptions 10 the
broad. general rule of tax honesty
that stand out in bold relief. because
Of their sometimes amazing character.
As YOU examine one by one. the
typical samples of fraud. some Of
them involving plots to cheat the Gov
eminent out Of millions OF dollars in
revenue sometimes along with de-
fiance Of other penal statutes of the
Federal Government. YOU are startled
that intelligent men take such dan
gerous risks in their worship Of gold.
Shortage Is Great.
The more than 5000 900 income tax
payers again are having the search
ing spotlight OF tax appraisal thrown
upon them. On or before March Is
next that number must file income
tax returns. On the basis of compu-
tations of liability to the Government
under existing revenue laws they &C
cordingly must forward payments to
revenue collectors in districts all over
the United States. That great body
Of taxpayers will pay into the United
States Treasury more than 81 800
600 900 income tax. That sum will he
far short of the proper mark. A sur
Vey of the return probably VIII dis
close shortage running around
$3.50 900 900. 1t is more likely to
reach higher figure. OF course. this
deficiency ia not due in it's entirety
to willful evasions. Many returns are
found to contain honest errors.
The nationwide man hunt for
evaders knows no stopping until
those guilty of income tax lodging
are detected.
Evaders in the "willfui category
are singled out for relentless search.
Nineteen thousand men and women
i'm the Governments revenue machine
join in the hunt. The finely adjusted
machinery of this branch of the Gov
eminent runs at top speed, and with
consistent efficiency. The ''willful
evader at once falls into the Grim
inal' classification when the intelli-
gence unit gets on his trail and un-
covers deliberate intent to defraud
the Government. Intelligence agents
coordinate and cooperate with an
army of revenue accountants. audi
tors. engineers. examiners and ether
highly trained technical experts in in
vestisations that extend into cities.
towns. villages and hamlets through
out the country.
The "willful' eXader Is found in
avery walk Of liz among American