The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-01-30
Tax Aid Is
Proposed For
Working Girls
BY DOROTHY ROE
AP Women's Editor

The working girl has found I'M
expected allies in two California
Tax conSultants who have pro-
posed to alter some of the income
tax rules which have been infuri-
ating her for years.
These two knights in shining ar
NOR, Glenn Graves and Hugh Nc
Mahon of San Francisco, have pro-
posed in letters to their senator
and congressman that secretaries,
stenographerS and other women Of
flee workers be permitted to de-
duct beauty costs from their in
come tax, holding that it's just as
important for an office girl to look
her best to hold her job as it is
for professional glamor girls such
as stars of stage, screen, radio
and TV.
They also think working moth
er should be allowed to deduct the
wages and keep of domestic help,
babySitters and outside care and
education of children.
This latter point is one which
already has been brought up in
Congress, with conspicuous lack
of action, and one on which most
Of the women's organizations in
the country are firmly united.
The income tax laws state clear
ly that a deductible business ex-
pense is one which is necessary
to ones means of livelihood. Such
things as entertainment of Gus
toners, upkeep Of car used in bus
mess, office expenses and so on
are called legitimate deductions.
But the internal revenue boys so
far have refused to admit that the
cost of a nurse, babysitter or nur-
Sery school is an expense neces-
sary to the income of q working
mother.
Let's take a look at the economic
status of the average stenograph-
er. Let's say her salary is $50
a week. The average may be
slightly lower in small towns.
Sally Stenog takes home only
$39.15 Of her $50 salary, after
Uncle Sam takes bite of 1910
for income tax and IS cents for
social security. @
She spends minimum Of 81
week for carfare, at least $3.50
at the beauty shop, average of
S. a week for lunches, and proba-
bly, $50 week for cleaning and
pressing-keeping her clothes neat
as required to hold her job. This
is another $40 a week, which must
come out before she starts to pay
her room rent and board. Or she
has $29. Is left for living expenses.
Out of this she must buy clothes,
which costs her more than If she
stayed at home.
You can see that our Sally can
indulge In no riotous living.
Now suppose Sally is married
to a young man also just getting
a foothold in the business world,
making perhaps SIS a week, and
suppose, as usually happens, the
young couple has a baby.
Before she can 60 out and take
a job to aid the family income
Sally will have to pay for some
one to take care of the baby. If
she hires a fuIl-time nurse or
housekeeper, the cost viii be more
than she earns as a stenographer,
probably. If she compromises on
a day nursery the cost win be at
least $40 a week, perhaps more.
Add to that the fact that the
amount she can add to her hus-
bands income win put the family
in a higher income bracket.
A job in this case would be a
luxury, and would cost Sally and
her husband more than it would
for her to stay at home.
So she thinks it's high time some
body. like the chiyalrous tax con-
sultants, started helping heaven
, prnfect the wnrkiuU Girl