TAXES. 134. A TAX is a sum of money assessed upon the person or property of an individual to meet the expense of government, or for other public purposes. 135. A tax levied upon the person is called a POLL or CAPITATION TAX, and in most States is assessed upon all male citizens of 21 years of age, or more. NOTE. This tax is levied without reference to property. The term "POLL" is sometimes used for the person on whom it is levied. 136. A tax assessed on property is called a PROPERTY TAX. 137. The property on which taxes are levied is known as REAL PROPERTY and PERSONAL PROPERTY. 138. REAL PROPERTY is that property which cannot be moved, as land, buildings, etc. 139. PERSONAL PROPERTY is movable property, as cash, merchandise, notes, etc. NOTE. The expense of town, county, State, and city government is met by a direct tax on persons and their property; while the expense of the general government is met by duties on imported goods; internal revenue tax on tobacco, liquors, proprietary medicines, etc.; sale of public lands; fees of officers; tax on circulation, deposits, and capital of National Banks; etc. 140. The officers chosen to assess the taxes are known as ASSESSORS. It is their duty to make a list of taxable polls and estimate the value of the property on which the property tax is to be raised. 141. taxes. A TAX COLLECTOR is a person chosen to collect the 142. A LICENSE FEE is a sum charged by town, county, State or general government for the privilege of conducting a certain line of business. 143. To Assess Taxes. From this de Divide the From the RULE.- Find total amount to be raised. duct all license fees or surplus in the treasury. remainder by 100 per cent minus collector's fee. result subtract the totul poll tax. This remainder, if divided by the assessed property of the town will determine the rate of taxation on one dollar. EXAMPLES. 1. A certain town votes to raise by taxation $8560. The town contains 500 polls, and the poll tax is $2.50. The taxable property consists of real estate, $628345.42, and personal property, $346321.25. What is the tax per $1, and what is the tax of James Worth, whose real estate is valued at $8240, and personal property $2750, and who pays one poll tax? 2. The assessed value of the real estate of a town is $760000, and of the personal property $500000. The sum to be raised to defray town expenses is $7827.90 net, after allowing 3% for collecting. How much must be collected, and what is the tax per $100, if the town contains 620 polls who pay $1.50 each? 3. The assessed valuation of a town is $1264000. The amounts to be raised by taxation for the expenses of the year are: For schools, $3500; for streets, $2200; for salaries of officers other than that of collector, $1500; for interest on the town debt, $2340; for construction of a bridge, $4000; for collector's fee, $284, and for sundry expenses, $1060. There are 980 polls, who pay $1.00 each. What is the tax-rate per $1000, and what is A's tax, whose real estate is worth $7500 and personal property $2800, and who pays one poll tax? 4. The taxes of the town of A for the year 1907 were levied to cover the following expenses: Support of poor, $1800; State and school tax, $12960; roads and bridges, $3100; county expenses, $1968.44, less a surplus in the treasury, $1140.84; accounts audited by town auditors, $1233.75; incidentals, $1478.65. Of this tax, 560 polls pay $2.50 each, and the estimated revenue from licenses is $1000. The taxable property is, real estate, $879502.50 and personal property $738525. The above estimate does not include the collector's fee of 2%. What is the tax-rate per $100? 5. A certain county has a valuation of $12743825, and the number of taxable polls is 9775. The expenses for a certain year were estimated to be: For schools, $18500; for interest on a debt of $25000 for the year, one-half at 6% and the remainder at 5%; for roads and bridges, $8400; for salaries, $7200; and for other expenses, $14750. The county polltax was 75c., and the revenue from licenses, $4200. What rate of tax must be assessed to cover the above expenses and a sinking-fund of $6000? 6. The value of the real estate in a certain town is $2385000; personal property, $865000. A poll-tax of $2 is assessed on each of 935 persons. The town votes to raise for schools, $12000; roads and bridges, $4000; support of poor, $3000; pay of town officers, $800; interest on debt, $320; fire department, $1000; contingent expenses, $3500. How much tax will be paid by A, who has $3800 worth of real estate and $5000 personal property, but is a non-resident of the town? 7. A town with a valuation of $3000000 in real estate and $1500000 in personal property raised the following sums by taxation: $18000 for roads; $26000 for schools; $6000 for a bridge; $3000 for county expenses; $9000 for sinking fund; $30000 for a public building; and $9560 for interest on town debt. There were 1560 poll taxes of one dollar each, 20 licenses of $1500 each were granted by the town, and there was an unexpended balance in the treasury of $8750. The collector received 21% for collecting the taxes and this amount is not included in the above sums. What is the tax per $1000? DUTIES. 144. DUTIES or CUSTOMS are taxes assessed by the general government upon imported merchandise to produce a revenue for support of the government and for the protection of home industry. 145. CUSTOM-HOUSES are branches of the Treasury Department established by Congress at certain places on the shores and boundaries of the United States for the collection of duties and for entry and clearance of vessels. NOTE. The boundaries of the United States are divided into collection districts, in each of which there is a port of entry and one or more ports of delivery. Thus, the District or Port of Boston and Charlestown includes the shores of the counties of Middlesex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. All entries of goods, and estimates and payment of duties thereon, must be made at Boston, after which the goods may be delivered at any one of the following ports of delivery: Boston, Medford, Cohasset, Hingham, Weymouth, Cambridge, Roxbury, and Dorchester. A Deputy Collector is stationed at Cohasset. All ports of entry are also ports of delivery. Vessels must be entered and cleared at the port of entry. 146. An INVOICE or SHIPPERS' MANIFEST is an itemized bill of the goods, showing the quantity, quality, and price of the goods, as also all charges and the names of consignor and consignee, etc. NOTE 1. All invoices are required to be made in the weights, measures, and moneys of the country in which the purchase is made. To change these moneys to U.S. money, use is made of a table showing the values of foreign moneys as proclaimed each year by the Secretary of the Treasury. (P. 125.) NOTE 2. - The Consul of the U.S. at the foreign port makes two copies of the original invoice, one to send to the Collector of the port at which the goods are to be entered, and one to keep on file. He also makes a certificate as to the quantity and value of the goods, and, when no value has been proclaimed for the money in which the invoice is made, he certifies to that also. NOTE 3. - The government requires that the invoice shall show five classes of charges, when so many occur, viz., 1, Market Price of the Goods; 2, Carriage to Shipping Port; 3, Shipping charges; 4, Cases and Packing; 5, 147. The following are the principal entries made at the Custom-House: Import entry for immediate consumption; import entry for storage in a bonded warehouse; import entry for transportation to another port of entry (duties assessed and paid at the latter port); import entry for immediate transportation to a foreign country (no duties collected); withdrawal entry from warehouse for consumption at the place of importation; withdrawal entry from warehouse for transportation to another port of entry; withdrawal entry from warehouse for transportation to a foreign country; and export entry of goods manufactured in the U.S. for the benefit of a drawback. NOTE 1. In Boston, the common form is the Inward Foreign Entry. Goods to be transported before payment of duty are sealed and the owner placed under bond. NOTE 2. Tobaccos, liquors, etc., produced in the U.S. are subject to an internal revenue tax, paid by the producers. When such goods are to be exported the government pays back the tax thus imposed. The sum paid back is called a drawback. To get this the last form of entry given above is made. NOTE 3. To secure the delivery of imported goods a long process is necessary. The main facts are as follows: The' commander of the vessel presents his report and manifest of cargo and takes the oath. A "manifest number" is given, and the importer presents his invoice and takes the oath. The Entry Clerk then indicates the deductions to be made, the rate of duty to be charged, and the packages which are to be sent to the Appraiser's Stores for examination. The papers afterward go to the Impost Clerk, who reduces the foreign values to U.S. money and computes the duty. All the papers are then sent to the Bond Clerk, where bond is given, if necessary. The Permit Clerk gives permit to land the goods. After this the Naval Officer again computes the duties, examines and countersigns the papers, and sends them to the Cashier, to whom the duty is paid or secured. A Deputy Collector then signs the permit and delivers it to the Inspector in charge of the vessel, after which the goods are delivered, subject at any time during the delivery to additional examination. The goods are confiscated by the government if heavy additional duties are not paid according to the Collector's order when it appears that the importer has attempted to deceive. 148. A BONDED WAREHOUSE is a place in which goods under bond for the payment of duties may be stored at the owner's risk. Storage is charged so long as the goods remain in the ware |