Evening star., 1951-02-15
Your Income Tox
All Drawing Less Than S. 900
May File on 7O4O Short Form

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itemize all your deductions. But
then you may claim them in full.
Attach Form wa.
Be sure you attach to the short
form-before turning it into the
tax collector-any form W., the
withholding receipt, given you by
a boss for taxes he withheld from
you in 1850.
When husbands and wives file
joint return on the short form.
both must sign it. Otherwise, the
collector will consider it single
return.
Couples puzzled as to whether
to file jointly should remember
this:
If one of them had income but
the other didn't, they can't lose
by filing jointly on the 1910 short
form, providing their total in
come was under $1,000.
When a couples total income
was under $1,000, but each had
some, in most cases-but not all
they'll save money filing jointly
on the 1040 short form.
Since there are exceptions.
when both partners in a mar
riage had income totaling less
than $1,000, they should check
the tax table carefully to see
whether they'll save by filing
jointly or separately on the 1040
short form.
Same Form for Separate Return.
And remember this: Suppose
a couple had total income under
$4,000. Husband and wife each
had some Of it. One of them
wants to use the 1O40 long form
in order to itemize deductions to
get more than the standard 10
per cent allowed with the long
form. May the other go ahead
and file separately on the 1040
short form?
No. When one uses the 1910
long form to itemize. the other
must use the 1040 long form and
also itemize.
If husband and wife have total
income of $1,000 or more, al
though the individual income of
each was under $1,000, they may
file separately on the 1040 short
form, but not jointly.
Or they may file Jointly on the
1040 long form. In that way. they
may split their income to reduce
their tax.
Not much instruction is needed
for handling the short form.
Answer the questions on Page /
and in some cases on Page Q
also-and find your tax in the
table on Page 4.
Be careful, in using the table
that you find your tax in the
column which gives you all the
exemptions you may rightfully
claim.
When you are finished, tear of
Page ! and turn it into the COL
lector with any tax you owe. n
you should get a refund, mark
that in the proper place on Page
l. The collector will send 1t to
you.
Short Form Examples.
Here are some examples of
using the short form:
Smith. single. no dependents.
income of $4,365. OF that, $4,000
was in salary. from which full
tax was withheld. The other 1855
was in dividends or interest from
which no tax was withheld.
Looking down the gray income
columns, he finds that $4,365 is
in there between S4,350 and
$4,400. Since he's single, with no
dependents, he may claim only
one exemption, for himself.
Then in the white columns.
under the one showing the tax
on person claiming only one
exemption. he finds that the tax
on such a person with income
between $4.350 and $4.400 is $616.
Say that during the year the
boss withheld $3.50 from Smith.
The latter finds now he owes S63.
the difference between the $3.50
withheld and the total tax due
on him. $616.
After filling out the return, and
signing it. he encloses a check
for $63, addressed to the Col
lector of Internal Revenue" for
the district in which Smith lives.
Note this: Last year, on Form
1040, any one with income from
dividends or interest merely listed
the amount in the proper place
on Page /.
Slight Change This Year.
The form has been slightly
changed this year on this point.
Now YOU list the amount, as be-
fore. in answer to question No. 3
on Page /, but on Page 2-in the
place called Schedule A-you must
give the name of the corporation
which sent you the dividends, plus
the amount.
If it was interest you got, you
list the name of the person who
paid it to you, plus the amount, in
Schedule B on Page 2.
Take Jones. Say he had the
same amount as Smith, $4,365,
but was married and had one
child. His wife had no income,
and they file a joint return.
Counting the child, the Joneses
get three exemptions. The tax on
them is $372.
But suppose Mrs. Jones, with no
income, absent-mindedly forgot to
file a joint return with her hus-
band. He still gets three exemp-
tions-one for himself, one for his
dependent child, and one for his
wife, since she had no income