Evening star., 1936-08-25


rssioners: For the fiscal year 1886. it
q was only necessary to mail about 5000
!. letters to delinquents who had failed
! to file their personal tax returns.
-. Responses were received and re-
turns filed in all these cases, with the
exception of 1898 in which 1t was nec-
:. essary to certify to the Commissioners
for rule to show cause why return
: had not been filed.
:, For the past fiscal year there did
7 not appear on our records any tenta-
tive assessments, as had previously
been the case. but the entire personal
tax levy is based on signed statements
by taxpayers-numbering about $4,000
cases-and there were likewise filed
returns of about 10000 cases which
did not include any taxable personal
- property.
- ]. "It is hoped that for the 1897 fiscal
year more persons will file their per-
sonal tax returns by reason Of the
fact that greater publicity has been
given through the radio and by the
newspapers of the necessity for filing
a return, and also from the fact that
the taxpaying public is acquainted
with the provisions of the act ap-
proved April 10. 1885, whereby income
tax returns will be available for in
spection by this Office"
Auto Taxes High Elsewhere.
As to the tax on automobiles Allen
declared the present method of basing
the tax on the value Of the car is not
Satisfactory"
BY reason of the large number of
automobiles in the District" he said,
ait is physically impossible to assess
each automobile from inspection. Con-
sequently, 1t Is necessary to use the
best method available, that of valua-
'tion book, which in but few cases
reflects the true value of the car.
However, as this is the only means Of
placing assessments on such a large
number of cars, it must be used.
When it is considered about one
third OF the cars in the District are
paying no more than a nominal tax
of 81 per car. by reason of their
diminished values. it will be seen that
the tax on this particular class OF
property is below the tax paid in the
States. The average tax paid by
automobile owners in other jurisdic-
tions is $3446, whereas in the Dis
trict the average is s1486, this being
the lowest tax in any Jurisdiction in
the country"
N. r. A. Valuations Shrunk.
District automobile owners during
the past fiscal year paid total of
S51s.476. as personal property taxes
on cars, decrease of <$29, 9,583 from
1885. Allen said the decrease was oc-
casioned by the fact that for 1885
the values of automobiles were based
on values set up by the National Re-
covery Administration code, and that
the valuations shrunk considerably
after the code was declared unconsti-
tutional along with the N. r. A.
During the past year the 2-cent
gasoline tax amounted to s2.352 .595.
or an increase of s211,515 over 1895.
Importers reported the sale of Ill.,
629,787 gallons of gas. as compared
with 1o7053,990 the year previous.
Real estate assessments for the past
fiscal year totaled $1.131 .798. 1874, a
decrease of about sl,000,O0O from the
1885 fiscal year level. Land assess
ments for 1886 amounted to s483,-
0l6,l00 as against s487,742,551 in 1895.
and improvements were assessed at
$648,7S2.284 for the past fiscal year
rs against s645. .085 ,098 for 1895.
The value of new buildings and
additions erected during the past fiscal
year was placed at $l4,36o, 400 Build
ings which were removed during the
year had value estimated at
1885, 500.