1863 Income Tax Forms

[samingeorgia]

Somewhere in my internet travels, I found a copy of the tax return used for the short-lived income tax that was enacted in 1863 to pay the staggering war expenses of the U.S. government. Basically, it was 1.5 to 3% of income, minus some deductions (including a $ 600 personal exemption!), four pages including instructions, and it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

That got me to thinking: what a visionary Salmon P. Chase would have been if he had come up with a way to e-file using the telegraph!

[jainen]

>>e-file using the telegraph<<

Abate the late filing penalty for reasonable cause -- Jesse James cut the lines!

[cathyan]

Link: http://www.planetpdf.com/planetpdf/pdfs/seyboldseminars/ny02/irs_1864taxform.pdf