Henderson Daily Dispatch

SALES TAX RISES IN OCTOBER TOTAL

Maxwell and McMullan Highly Pleased With $549,603 of Revenue

Daily Dispatch Bureau,
In the Sir Walter Hotel,
BY J. C. BASKERVILL.

Raleigh, Nov. 1.—The collection of $549,603 from the three per cent general sales tax in October, as announced by Commissioner of Revenue A. J. Maxwell, is regarded as eminently satisfactory both by Commissioner Maxwell and Director Harry McMullan, of the sales tax division, since it reflects a healthy growth over collections of the two previous months.

The August collections amounted to only $358,579 and September collections to $411,755. Director McMullan believes that the collections that will come in during the next few days will bring the total to more than $600,000 for October. He also pointed out that the $549,603 collected through October 28, when the books for the month were closed, was received from 7,580 merchants, while in September only about 12,000 merchants made returns.

(Continued on Page Four.)
Sales
Tax
Rises
In October Total
(Continued from Page One.)

Returns out of a
total of some 24,000
that
were registered. At the present
time 26,100 merchants are registered,
leaving some 8,520 who did not make
any returns in October.
"A list of all these 8,520 merchants
who have not yet made any returns
for October will be prepared this week
and given to the field deputies, who
will call on all these merchants this
month and see why no returns have
been filed," Director McMullan said.
"Most of these merchants are small
merchants who are not required to
file returns oftener than every three
months and who evidently did not un-
derstand that they should have filed
returns during October. There are still
a good many merchants who do not
yet fully understand the law and who
continue to wait until the field de-
puties come to see them before filing
their returns. So by the time we have
checked all these 8,520 delinquent
merchants the collections for October
should be well in excess of $600,000."
Commissioner Maxwell pointed out
that the experience with the sales tax
here in North Carolina has been si-
mlar to that in other states that have
it, in that the collections have started
out small the first month, but have
increased from month to month. He
also pointed out that the heavy sales
months are still to be reached and that
yet on credit sales, since this tax is
not collectable until after accounts are
settled by customers.