Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-07-30
District Expects
Tax Search 10
Yield S150,000
House-to toulouse
Check of Evuders
To Sturt Soon

The District expects to raise an
additional $150, 900 as the result of a
house search for personal
property tax evaders to be launched
soon, 1t was learned today.
The precedent-making probe will
be undertaken by two field workers
from the Tax Assessors Once as
soon as bills have been sent to
on-time fllers, reminding them that
the first half of their tax payment
is due in September
Personal property holders in
Washington have until midnight
tomorrow to file returns for the
current fiscal year of 1947.
Check All Residences.
The tax investigators will check
all residences, including apartments.
which do not show up on the Dis
trict's property tax rolls, according
to Assistant Assessor James l.. Mar
tin, who expects to have his men
begin the sweeping survey by Sep
tember /.
Mr.. Martin predicted the job
would take nearly two years to COM
plete. 1T will be the biggest job
we've undertaken to date" he de-
clared, but added that 1t would be
"a very productive one"
Starting AT the river" the eX-
aminers will move straight through
the Northwest section and clock
wise around through Northeast and
Southeast" Mr.. Martin said.
Much Of the anticipated increase
in personnel property tax revenues
will result from the stiff penalties
facing late fllers, Mr.. Martin said.
An automatic increase of 20 per
cent is added to the taxable value
of persons property when he files
late. Moreover, an additional / per
cent is added to the amount of the
tax for every month that it remains
delinquent.
To Cover Five Years.
Planned some time ago but de-
layed because of the wartime drain
on tax personnel. the search will
affect not only property owners who
failed to file return this year but
also any who have forgotten" to
tell the District about taxa BILE prop
erty during the last five years, Mr..
Martin stated
individuals, corporate and
partnerships holding tangible per-
sonal property here, regardless Of
legal residence, may be subject to
the tax, which is levied at the rate
Of SITS per 500 worth of property.
Books, family portraits and cloth
ing are tax exempt, and a 81, 900 ex-
emption is allowed for household
effects. However, jewelry. livestock,
boats. aircraft. auto trailers and
even stamp collections can be taxed.
The District assessed s3,441 900
worth of personal property during
the last fiscal year, the total amount
actually collected being swelled to
s3,472, 600 by delayed payments from
previous years. The anticipated
! assessment during the current fiscal
year is 1854 900.
Only Spot Checks Previously.
Door-to-door checks on business
establishments evading the tax are
not new to the District Tax Depart
ment, but only spot residential
checks have been made heretofore.
Last year checkups resulted in the
addition of more than 1900 new per-
sonal property tax accounts to the
rolls. New accounts for the entire
period from 1941 through 1916 fiscal
years totaled only 1874. The tax
ing of boat owners for the first time
last year accounted for approx
mately 1000 new accounts.
| The investigators will carry field
books, showing which residences
have tenants filing tax returns. For
addresses where no tax filler is re-
corded, the Investigators will also
have figures on the value of real
estate improvements there.
I'VE will know in advance what to
expect because the assessed value
of the home is related to the value
of its contents" Mr.. Martin said.
He declared that if an eligible tax
payer refuses to file return, the tax
office simply assesses his property as
best it can, adding significantly, I'VE
really bear down Oh them, then"