Municipal Bulletin (Volume 1) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910. Excerpt: ... commonly admit numerous narrower definitions,1 and for the purposes of a classification of municipal revenues it is important that the word be used in a much more restricted sense, in order that the source of revenue which is based upon a general levy upon all property may be clearly differentiated from the so-called " taxes " exacted of individuals in the exercise of the police power of the community or in return for specific services performed. In our classification of revenue receipts we define a tax as follows: "A tax is a general compulsory contribution of wealth collected, in the general interest of the community, from individuals or corporations by an exercise of the sovereign power of the government, and levied without reference to the special benefits which the individual contributors may derive from the public purposes for which the revenue is required." 2 In accordance with this definition, the Bureau of Statistics recognizes five sources of taxation from which the cities and towns of Massachusetts obtain revenue, namely: 1. Property;3 2. Poll; 3. Corporation (except street railways); 4. Street Railway; 5. Bank. The nature of these several classes of taxes is as follows: --1. Property. The property tax is a direct tax levied upon all propertyreal and personal situated within the Commonwealth and all personal property of the residents of the Commonwealth wherever situated unless expressly exempted by law. (Acts of 1909, chapter 490, part I, sections 2, 3, and 4.) Provision is made on the schedule for entering on separate lines the collections of taxes for (a) the current year, and (6) previous years, in order that it may be ascertained to what extent collections are made promptly within the year for which the levies are made. Taxes received for t...