Evening star., 1949-08-03
Sales Tax Aides
To Start Check
On All Vendors
Door-to-Door Visits
Planned in Drive on
Tordx Registronts

Sales tax agents will begin a
door, to-door check tomorrow on
vendors who have failed to apply
for certificates of registration.
Some 5000 businesses subject to
the requirement have not applied
for registration numbers, and
technically are liable to $100 fines.
Only through a registration check
can authorities determine whether
vendors are turning in 2 per cent
of their taxable gross receipts.
Chief Auditor William P. Bo-
gardus of the Sales Tax Division
said the survey is expected to sign
up concerns which might at some
time engage in taxable tranSac-
tionS.
Although officials have scaled
down to about 1900 the original
estimate of 10000 to $4,000 firms
which must register, only slightly
more than 1000 now have
applied, Mr.. Bogardus said.
Some Rules Still Confusing.
Generally, the f1rst-day con-
fusion brought by the new tax
this week has abated, but mer-
chants and customers still are
perplexed by some of the regula-
tionS.
One of them is the question Of
beer selling for less than the min
imum taxable sum of IA cents.
Is the customer required to pay a
tax on two or more beers he con-
sumes on one occasion, even
though he pays for each beer in
dividually?
An answer is being sought by
the Restaurant Beverage Associa-
ton, which hopes the answer is
yes" The reson is that tax on
half keg of beer amounts to
about 40 cents, which the dealer
must pay himself if he cannot
pass it along to the consumer.
Decision Expected Today.
The corporation counsel was ex-
pected to rule on the matter to-
day. One unofficial ruling waV
that the customer must pay the
tax, regardless of whether he buys
the beers individually or not, be-
cause the regulations state that
merchant should collect on the
total amount of bill compiled on
any one occasion. And an occa-
sion is defined as one business day.
Some tap beer dealers have de-
creased the size of glasses from
t8 to 7l2 or Z. ounces. hoping thus
to, absorb the tax. The question
arises as to whether they would
continue this short-beer ration in
the event of a ruling that they
should collect the tax.
i Some restaurants were experi-
sncing trouble convincing CUSTOM
ers, that the tax. which starts at
Sl.26 on meals, applied to the
full price Of the meal and not
to just the amount above SIPS.
Cards Are Distributed.
However, patrons generally are
paying the tax without more than
good -natured grumbling, restau-
ranteers said.
The Washington Restaurant AS
sociation is distributing 10000
cards to its members. They are
of such size that a waiter or
waitress may carry them for the
purpose of helping to explain the
tax to customers.
Another new tax, that on cigar
cites. still was giving the District
License Bureau trouble. About
500 cigarette vendors have not
paid their new So retail tax. and
thus are not legally entitled to
sell,
Inspectors are warning them to
get the licenses and charge the
new one-cent per pack tax. Event.
ually some cases may be prosecuted
in Municipal Court in the event
of fragrant holdouts. it was said.
Tax Paid by Blow on Head.
The most violent case of sales
tax resistance yet observed was
reported last night. A customer
purchased II bottles of beer from
the grocery of Jacob Loteker. SO.
at 1920 Fifteenth street NV. Told
that the price was $1.53, the Gus
toner wanted to know why the
3 cents.
Mr.. Loteker explained about the
sales tax.
There S your tax" the customer
exclaimed, and hit Mr.. Loteker
over the head with one of the
bottles of beer. ~.
The storekeeper received treat
ment at Garfield Hospital. Police
are still seeking the customer,
described as a colored man of
medium height, weighing about