Judge, 1922-03-11 · page 5 of 36
Judge — March 11, 1922 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "One Good Tax Return Deserves Another" This 1920s satirical cartoon mocks the complexity of U.S. income tax forms. The illustration shows a boy asking his mother if he can play outside, saying "The house is afire"—suggesting the household is in chaos. The accompanying article and Q&A by Norman Anthony uses humor to address genuine tax confusion: citizens asking whether they must file returns, what counts as dependent income, and how to report various earnings. The satire targets both the bewildering tax code itself and taxpayers' creative attempts to minimize their obligations through dubious claims about dependent relatives and household expenses. The title suggests that just as one must file a proper tax return, one deserves to understand what the government actually requires—highlighting the absurdity of overly complicated tax regulations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
— Jo Qu Drawn by J syaee Quins “Ma, could I go out doors to play? One Good Tax Return Deserves Another By Norman Anthony ‘THE time approaches when it be- comes our inalienable duty to lay our very souls bare to the Income Tax Collector. We recall that certain blanks asking uncertain questions will be thrust into our reluctant hands. We do not know the man whose duty it is to draw up these blanks, but we are reasonably sure that he has ably succeeded in making a hard job harder; and in much the same spirit we are offering our friends the follow- ing code of answers, believing that the man who drew the questions would understand nothing less ambiguous. Question—Did you file a return for 1920? Answer—Add answers 6 and 8 and subtract Item 5, as in Instruction 7! Question—If so, what address did you give on that return? Answer—Answered only on Satur- days, Sundays and Holidays! ——<e- Question—If not, state why a return was not filed? Answer—Because! Question—Did you pay to any indi- vidual, rent, salaries, wages, etc., or other determinable income of $1,000 or over? Answer—Let's see, now; did 1? Question—Were you at any ti during this period married and livi with your wife? Answer—Who the deuce did think I was living with? Question—If not, were you the head of a family, as defined in Question D? Answer—I answered that last year! Look it up yourself, you big stiff! Question— How many dependent persons (mentally or physically de- fective) received their chief support from you during the year? Answer—The crowd I play poker with, all my wife’s relatives, and seven or eight hat-check boys! Question—What is the relationship to you of the dependent persons for whose support you claim exemption? Answer—My wife’s third cousin is my uncle’s aunt, and she’s my niece by you 3 The house is afire.” marriage. If you don't believe me, see Items 6 and 7! Question—Did your wife or any of your dependents make a separate re urn? Answer—Yes, one of my neighbors returned my lawn mower, and my son returned from college by request. Question—If not, have you included the taxable income of your wife and the earnings of your dependents? Answer—Through advice of counsel I refuse to answer! Question—Did you file an income tax return with a U. S. Collector of Internal Revenue? Answer—The rose is red, the violet’s blue, see Item 6 and also 2! Question—If so, what amount of total net income did you report? Answer—lIt was either three or four cents, I'm not sure. There, you get the idea. Now go ahead and give him a dose of his own medicine! You may be put in jail for it, but then someone ought to go to jail for such a thing; and if you'll be the martyr to the cause we’ll send you baskets of fruit and everything!