Back in the day, the tax man travelled around to collect citizens’ taxes, versus today when citizens go to the courthouse to pay. (Beverly Clinkingbeard photo)
By Beverly Clinkingbeard
“The tax man cometh . . .” Is it a phrase you’ve heard before? If so, where did it come from?
It’s that time of year when attention must be turned toward the civic fulfillment of paying your taxes. In a query to our Atchison County Collector Diane Livengood, she doesn’t make house calls to collect taxes, other than extenuating circumstances where a party is unable to physically have their tax funds to the collector in the time designated and they need personal attention. Realistically, have you had a tax man (or woman in the world of today) appear at your door to collect taxes?
The tax man cometh may be different in other places and have different practices – notification electronically, by US Mail, or incorporated into a financial agreement, and if not paid, legal actions result. In Atchison County, property taxes have/or are already dealt with as of December 31. Next is everyone’s obligation of settling with the Federal and State government. We must give an accounting of why or why not funds are due to a treasury department.
Tax collecting is an ancient practice. We read of it in Scriptures. The kings of old demanded usury or a form of taxation for people to live in safety and keep what they had worked for. From Jesus calling Matthew the Tax Collector, we learn it is an old profession and practice that held no honor as it was subject to corruption and exploitation.
Our United States of America was born with at least one issue being the provocation of unfair taxation. The colonists didn’t take kindly to providing a heartless king a royal standard of living. However, once the conflict that we call The Revolutionary War was settled, the crafters of the new Republic were in need of funds to operate their new government, for the novel idea of “Democracy” had a price. Benjamin Franklin said in a letter, dated 1789, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”
Many years after the signing of the Constitution when Atchison County was over 30 years old, the Atchison County Democrat September issue posted the following:
“Notice From The TAX-COLLECTOR. Notice is hereby given to the Tax-Payers of Atchison County, Missouri, that the tax books for the year 1879 have been placed in my hands for collection, and that I will meet them at the following times and places to receive said taxes:
Templeton Township, at Phelps City, Oct. 7, 8 & 9
Benton Township at LaHue’s School House, Oct. 10 & 11
Benton Township at Luhrs’ School House, Oct. 12
Clark Township, at Nishna Station, Oct. 14
Clark Township, at Milton, Oct. 15 & 16
Dale Township, at Dothan Postoffice, Oct. 17, 18 & 19
Tarkio Township, at York Postoffice, Oct. 21
Tarkio Township, at Center Point, Oct. 22 & 23
East Lincoln Township, at Hazel Grove, Oct. 24 & 25
West Lincoln Township, at Kime School House, Oct. 26
Polk Township, at Linden, Oct. 28, 29 & 30
Buchanan Township, at Read School House, November 1 & 2
Nishnabotna Township, at Watson, Nov. 5, 6 & 7
Clay Township, at Rock Port, Nov. 8, 9 & 10
PARTICULAR NOTICE – WHEN YOU COME TO PAY YOUR TAXES DO NOT FAIL TO BRING THE NUMBERS OF YOUR LAND ALONG WITH YOU. In order to facilitate matters this is absolutely necessary.
TAKE WARNING – Heavy Penalty will be attached after the 1st Day of January.
A. BERTRAM, Collector of Atchison Co., Mo.”
Where meeting with residents was held at a school house, was school cancelled on those days? Not everyone took the newspaper, thus neighbors must have passed the word of the collector’s impending visit? Only the dates were given and no specific hours. Considering travel of that day, distance would have dictated a very early start on the part of the collector, or an overnight with a camp out, stay with a householder or hotel of the time. Watson and Center Point each had a small hotel.
New settlers were moving into the county and there were new taxpayers to add to the book. Westboro and Tarkio cities were on the drawing board, but not placed yet. Considering distance, it would surely have been helpful to have the tax man cometh versus the taxpayer making a trip to Rock Port, though settlers may have grumbled over the issue of paying taxes. As a surety, Ben Franklin’s utterance regarding death and taxes and “The Tax Man Cometh” seem to have derived from the practice that there was a time when the tax man did come to the tax payer, whether welcome or not.
’Til next time.
