Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-28
BY Carter Brooke Jones.

by SdI CGI DlOOht JULES.
AS the March IS deadline for income
tax returns approaches. with payment Of
at least the first quarter on 1912 taxes
falling due on the same fatal date, you
may be wondering, If you haven't gone
into the matter pretty thoroughly. how
this affects your brother Joe, yeoman
Second class In the Navy, and your
nephew Bill, a second lieutenant in the
Army.
Do they have to pay an income tax?
If so, when and how? Do they get more
exemption than the civilians they left
on the home front? Must they make re-
turns right away. even if Joe is in the
South Pacific and Bill in North Africa?
Suppose neither of them can pay, now
that Joe's earning rather meager
stipend, and Bill. although he's an Of
ficer, has to pay for his upkeep and uni
forms?
A good many persons are asking these
and other questions, among them. prob
ably, a measurable number of the mil
lions in the armed forces if they haven't
taken the trouble to inquire of some one
who knew or haven't had access to the
notices posted around camps and sta
tions-who perhaps have been too busy
fighting.
First of all, the answer is yes. No
serviceman is exempt from the income
tax if his income exceeds the exempt
portion. A soldier. sailor or marine has
to pay, whether his 1912 income came in
part from civil employment and in part
from the Government or whether it came
wholly from the military or naval pay
roll.
Servicemen's Exemptions
But Joe, being an enlisted man in the
Navy. has special exemption which
commissioned officers and civilians do
not have If he is single. he has a service
exemption of $3.50 If married or head
of a family, he may deduct 5000. These
exemptions are in addition to $500 al
lowed single persons and 81 200 allowed
married men under the existing tax law.
Thus, if Bill is single, he may subtract a
total of $3.50 from his income for 1912
before it becomes taxable. And if he's
married, he can take off ST. 800 But this
applies only to privates. seamen and non
commissioned officers in the Army, Navy,
Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
1t Bill, a commissioned officer, is not
eligible He receives only the exemption
civilians are allowed.
Returns on incomes of our fighting
men are due, like those of the folks at
home. on March l5--if the men are serv-
ing somewhere in the United States,
which means in one of the 48 States or
the District of Columbia If they are
serving outside the United States,
whether in Alaska, Puerto Rico, New
foundland Iceland North Africa, the
Solomons or some other foreign spot, the
return automatically is deferred-both
the return and payment of the tax-un-
til the 18th day Of the third month
approximately rs days. after the end
of the month in which they return to
this country.
But what if our friends Joe and Bill
who were making very decent salaries
last year, find themselves, under their
reduced service stipend, unable to pay
all or perhaps any part of the 1912 tax?
Does benevolent Army or Navy inter
cept their wages at the paymaster's desk
and extract what's due?
Indeed not. Whatever a mans rank or
wherever his station, the collection of his
tax may be postponed until six months
after his military service terminates. pro-
Wded he files a statement outlining his
financial ability to pay has been impaired