Passing It On

Following in Grandpa’s tax-paying footsteps

Today is tax day. That’s not to be confused with Tax Freedom Day, which is still eight days away. You must have your U.S. federal income tax return in the mail by midnight tonight.

To be honest, I don’t remember any family members telling great tax stories whenever relatives gathered. Economic bragging rights in my family were claimed by virtue of income and possessions rather than taxes paid, or avoided, which I suspect was the norm in most U.S. families.

But, according to Business Week’s web site, ancestry.com will soon make it possible to check out some of your ancestors’ tax returns online. As part of an exclusive deal with the National Archives, tax returns from 1862 to 1918 will be available. That includes Abraham Lincoln’s $1,296 tax bill on his $25,000 income as president in 1864.

The road to federal income taxation was a rocky one after the tax made its debut in 1862 as a means of financing the Civil War. The tax was twice declared unconstitutional before Congress eliminated that nagging inconvenience by adding the 16th Amendment to the Constitution in 1913. We’ve been paying ever since.

So, if you’re one of those people seen on the late-night news dropping off your return at the post office just ahead of the witching hour, you can take some solace in the fact that your American relatives for the past 95 years have been part of the same tax-paying ritual. Think of it as carrying on a family tradition.

Larry Lehmer is a personal historian who helps people preserve their family histories. To learn more, visit his web site or send him an e-mail.

Liberty Tax man courtesy of 1Flatworld.

Is this 2008, or 1933?

Although the front page of this morning’s paper was dated 2008, it had more of a 1930s feel to it.

The news conveyed in the four page 1 stories of the Des Moines Register today are not that much different from what my depression-era relatives must have been reading 75 years ago. The good news, I guess, is that Iowans seem to be making the belt-tightening adjustments necessary in this era of inflation, pending shortages, erosion of savings and increasing debt. Apparently we’ve learned something from the trials of our not-so-distant ancestors.

Indeed, some of the trends viewed with alarm today could be viewed as potentially enhancing the strength of family ties, thereby increasing the chance of passing on family history.

A story outlining “signs of the pinch” of our economic downturn points out that financial planners are fielding questions from parents who have allowed grown children to move back into their homes and that families are eating more meals at home these days. Extended families under the same roof were much more common just a generation or so ago and family mealtime is prime story-sharing time.

Another story says that Iowans are cutting legal costs by handling domestic disputes and small claims themselves. Yet another explains that the Iowa legislature is considering expanding the age that young adults can remain covered on their parents’ health care plans and the fourth page 1 story reports that more Iowans are opting for cremation these days, presumably because it’s cheaper than a full-blown casket funeral.

I’ll let the economic pundits argue whether we’re in a recession or not. Whatever we’re in, it hurts, and we can all learn valuable lessons from how previous generations dealt with similar issues in their times. While the underlying problems we face today may be much different from those of decades ago, how we respond to them will be just as critical to future generations as our grandparents’ responses were to us.

Larry Lehmer is a personal historian who helps people preserve their family histories. To learn more, visit his web site or send him an e-mail.

Flickr photo courtesy of See El Photo.

Wearin' of the green, from O'Bama to your dinner plate

 

It's that time of the year again, when much of America turns Irish, if just for one day.

I can't claim any Irish blood in my own family, except for that on my wife's father's side. A life-long resident of Omaha, Neb., John Hayes was always proud of his Irish upbringing.

Now comes word that Sen. Barack Obama's bloodlines on his mother's side can be traced back to Ireland.

At least one transplant from Northern Ireland finds white America's love of the Irish to be somewhat perplexing, as reflected in this essay.

The University of Michigan Health System is taking advantage of this green fascination to promote some changes in our diets.

For those of you who wish to check out your own Irish roots, the New England Historic Genealogical Society is offering free access to its on-line Irish databases for a limited time. Go there now.

Flickr photo of Chicago River on St. Patrick's Day courtesy of  jshueh.