Case Name: German Nat. Bank of Chicago v. Kimball
Court: Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1880-10
Citations: 12 F. 96
Docket Number: 
Parties: German Nat. Bank of Chicago v. Kimball.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Reporter
Volume: 12
Pages: 96–96

Head Matter:
State Taxation — Injunction.
German Nat. Bank of Chicago v. Kimball.
Appellant filed a bill in chancery in the circuit court for the northern district of Illinois to enjoin defendant as collector, and Samuel H. McCrea as treasurer, from enforcing payment of the taxes assessed against its shareholders on their shares of the bank stock, on the general ground that the assessment violates the provision of the act of congress concerning national banks, which forbids the states from taxing these shares at any higher rate than other moneyed capital within the state, and that it also violates the provision of the constitution of Illinois concerning uniformity of taxation. The case was taken up on appeal to the supreme court of the United States, and a decision was rendered at the
October term, 1880,
affirming the decree of the circuit court, dismissing the bill.

Opinion:
Mr. Justice Miller
delivered the opinion of the court.
Ho one can be permitted to go into a court of equity to enjoin the collection of a tax until he has shown himself entitled to the aid of the court by paying so much of the tax assessed against him as it can be plainly seen he ought to pay; nor should he be permitted, because his tax is in excess of what is just and lawful, to screen himself from paying any tax at all until the precise amount which he ought to pay is ascertained by a court of equity.
The cases cited in the opinion were: State Railroad Tax Cases, 92 U. S. 575; Williams v. Weaver, 100 U. S. 539; Pelton v. National Bank, 101 U S. 143; Cumming v. National Bank, Id. 153.