The midland journal., 1946-03-15
FAeTssA ABOUT THE LONG FORM
BY George Hofferbert, Collector
Internal Revenue

Internal Revenue
Editors Note: This Is the third of
a series of brief articles, in question
and answer form, explaining how to
fill out your federal income tax re-
turn.
@. Who uses the Form 1040 as a
long form' tax return? A. Anyone
whose income was $4,000 or more
MUST use it; it MAY be used by
anyone under $4,000 who wishes to
claim his personal deductions instead
of accepting the approximate 10 per-
cent allowance provided in the short
form or Withholding Receipt. In
other words, if you believe you are
entitled to more deductions than is
provided by the allowance. you can
itemize and claim your actual deduc-
tions.
@. Do persons whose income was
over $4,000 have to itemize deduc-
tions? A. They have choice between
fiat allowance of $500 or itemizing
their actual deductions. Mote: the
10 percent allowance, which is incor
porated in the tax table, applies only
to income under $4,000.
@. Is Form 1040 filled out any
differently when used as long
form" than when used as a "short
form? A. Pages l and 2 are filled
out the same in either case. On a
short form, page is disregarded
and Page 4 is used, while on a long
form Page is used and Page is
diaregarded.
q. When husband and wife file
separate returns, can one take the
standard allowance while the other
itemizes deductions? A. Unless they
permanently have separated, if one
l.emi.1s deductions, the other must
do the same
Q. Suppose my list of deductions is
too long to write in the spaces on
Page of Form 1O40. What should l
do? A. List your deductions on sep
arate sheet of paper, write tLeir total
on Page 3, and attach your list Sc
urely to the form.
Q. How much exemption can my
family and 1 get on our 1945 income
tax? A. For surtax crates ranging
from 20 to 81 70, the exemption is
$500 for you, $500 for your wife, and
S5t 4oI each dependent. For normal
tax (rate 8 percent), fiat $500 ex-
emption is allowed regardless of size
of family, unless the return includes
income of more than one person. If
husband and wife file joint return
and each had income of $500 or more
they get a joint normal tax eXemp
tion of $1,000; if one has less than
$500 income, the joint exemption is
$500 plus the actual amount of the
smaller income.
@. How do l take credit for these
exemptions on my return? A. You list
tie exemptions as called for by the
form. II you file on a Withholding
Receipt, the Collector will determine
your tax from table which makes
autimatic allowance for your exemp
tions. if you file Form 1040 as &
short form, you will determine your
tax from the same table. If you file
Form 1040 as a long form, you will
find spaces on Page to subtract
your exemptions.
@. Can husband claim an exemp-
tion for his wife? A. Yes, if they
make joint return, or if she had no
income and was not the dependent of
another taxpayer cher father, for ex-
ample). If husband and wife file sep
arate returns, each must claim lis
own exemptions on his own return,
and must not duplicate any exemp
tions.
@. A husband and wife together
are entitled to $1,000 surtax exemp-
ton. In filing separate returns, can
they split their exemption in unequal
amounts, say $500 to one, and $500
to the other? A. No. Each is entitled
to his own $500 exemption and can
not transfer any part of it.
Next: Exemptions for Dependents.