The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-04
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

WASHINGTON, April s.-lf you have an in.
come tax-payment hangover, be of good cheer.
You may get some of it back, with interest.
About 100000 persons and companies got
around $50, 600, 900 in taxes and interest back
from the government last year ana you
may be one of the lucky ones this year.
If the governments got some of your money
it doesn't deserve, don't worry about 1t, eth
er, because the internal revenue department
is paying about the best interest in the country
today-6 per cent. Where, in these parlous
times, can you invest money with a company
or bank as safe as the United States treasury
and get a return like that?
However, that story about Wall streeters
making intentional errors on their returns just
to get their r-oney invested with the govern
ment at 6 per cent (when U. S. treasury notes
are only paying around 1 IL per cent, and
long term bonds only 2 to 8 per cent? is all
hooey.
In the first place, any person who would he
willing to risk not getting his back for a meas
ly 6 per cent would be too dumb to have
made enough money to pay an income tax.
Tax refunds come out of ra- hearings or the
discoveries of internal revenue checkers. And
when the checkers discover that something
has to be paid back or hearings are scheduled
on protested payments, you can bet at any
odds you can get, that the tax return of the
person involved is gone over with a line
tooth comb. And the chances are pretty good
that, under such scrutiny, Uncle Sam will dis
cover the fellow didn't pay all the tax he
should have.
In the second place, any bare-faced padding
of an income tax return might have an amaz-
ing repercussion. 1t might land the padder in
the jailhouse. Paying the government too
much money is a crime if it's done with intent
to take advantage of those generous interest
rates. And if the gentlemen OF internal rev.
enue could prove it, the padder would do a
penitentiary stretch.
SO Cents Started 1t
If, however, you have any good reason to
think that the internal revenue department has
collected income tax from you unjustly. take
a lesson from James J. Sweeney.
Mr.. Sweeney is a jovial Irishman from Bos.
ton. Mixed in with Mr.. Sweeney's fighting
Irish blood are some tenacious English cor.
puscles. The inspiration of Bunker Hill, as
he puts it, has kept that blood racing at
goodly speed ever since Mr.. Sweeney can re-
member.
Several years ago, Mr.. Sweeney came to
Washington to become assistant to the attor-
ney general. In 1888, the District of Columbia
assessor (who is one of Uncle Sans assessors,
too, you know took a look at the record and
assessed Mr.. Sweeney SS cents for the time
he'd been here.
Mr.. Sweeney went to the assessors office
and protested that he was a resident of Bos.
way AoS
Mr.. Sweeney, Persons who don't like our
laws, don't have to. stay here" That was a
mistake. Perhaps he was misled by the smile
on Mr.. Sweeney's Irish map.
Not only did Mr.. Sweeney burn the young
man up with words that would have eaten
through asbestos, but Mr.. Sweeney went into
action-legal action.
He got himself an attorney-"a lawyer who
represents himself has a fool for a client" he
says.
Mr.. Sweeney Wins
The other day, Mr.. Sweeney's two.year fight
came to an end with a knockout. And it was
not Mr.. Sweeney on the floor. The United
States Court of Appeals held that a govern
ment employee, residing in Washington, but
"domiciled' elsewhere, is not subject to the
districts levy on intangibles. That not only
gave Mr.. Sweeney his SO cents back, but set
a precedent for about 5000 other government
employees.
Mr.. Sweeney says that even if it had cost
him the $1,000 or so that it would have a lay.
man, it would have been worth every cent
Of it.
So, if you're mad at the internal revenue de.
partment and think you can prove they amt
done right by you, go to it. You may be an
other Mr.. Sweeney-and it's Mr.. Sweeneys
that make this country worth living in.