European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 2, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. April 2. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 5 irs cracking Down on overseas americans Washington a the internal Revenue service announced a new Effort tuesday to reduce what apparently is wholesale Tan cheating among americans living abroad and foreign owned Corpora Lioni operating in the United stale. The drive was prompted by two findings. A general accounting office estimate that updo 6 percent of the 1.8 million americans living abroad not including those in the military do not even file . Tax returns costing the government As much As $2.3 billion a year. Many people living inthe United slates fail to report income from foreign investments. An irs Survey of 12,000 foreign owned Compa Nies found they were paying an average tax of about percent on their . Operations far fuss than a typical Middle income family pays a substantial number of those companies Are paying no . Tax at All. We owe it to the vast majority of honest taxpayers in or out of the country to ensure that everyone is paying their fair share of tax Percy a Woodard jr., assistant irs commissioner for International operations told reporter. Woodard acknowledged that tax Laws arc especially Complex As they apply to americans living abroad or earning income from a foreign investment. As on part of the new compliance Effort the irs is tending agents on a Lour of is cities in to countries to help americans with their tax questions. The Agency has full time offices in 14 foreign cities. Irs official speculate thai Many american working abroad do not understand they have to file a lax return even though All or a part of their earnings arc exempt from tax. In 1986, up to $80,000 of an Nual earnings were not subject to tax if a worker me certain qualifications. This year the figure is Down to $70,000, and not tiling a return is grounds for theirs to deny the exclusion. Starting next year the Agency will have new information to use against those non liners. The slate department will be required to give the irs a list fall americans applying for passports. Woodard said irs auditors traditionally have concentrated enforcement efforts on . Companies operating abroad that try to shift income to coun tries will Tittle or no tax. We re now going to give equal Lime to u.5. Companies owned by foreigners he said. The information we now have and Al this stage it s scant information shows that the percentage of foreign owned companies paying tax is significantly Lowe than for Domestic  the irs estimated that those companies on aver age pay 16 percent to 19 percent Lea than .-based multinationals. The Agency it adding 100 auditors to examine the returns of International businesses an increase of 23 percent. As part of the compliance Effort the irs has Bee studying the electronics industries and is beginning to focus on foreign owned corporations manufacturing automobiles computers and motorcycles. The reason is the growing involvement of foreigners i those segments of the Economy Woodard said. Trade acid rain top Reagan Mulroney Agenda Washington a a Canadia embassy spokesman said tuesday that officials in Ottawa feel a growing sense of betrayal because of . Trade actions affecting Canada As they prepare for next week s meeting Between president Reagan and prime minister Brian  will be some Plain talk from Mulroney when the two leaders gel to Gether in the Canadian capital sunday and monday for their third meeting i three years embassy spokesman John fieldhouse told  said Reagan s recent announce ment of a $2,5 billion program to Deal with acid rain has somewhat alleviated Canadian concerns on thai  had maintained that proposals made by Reagan in his budget message to Congress in january did not fulfil the commitment he made to a cooperative $5 billion acid rain program last year. On March 18, however Reagan announced he would seek the full 12,5 billion. Agreed upon As the . Share and would setup a committee which would include Ca Nadian officials to decide what demonstration projects to spend the Money on. Because of these actions said fid House the very dark Cloud thai was hanging Over these remit has receded , he said Canada has been increasingly disturbed by . Actions of .-Canada Trade War May 22,1986 . Imposed 35% duty on Cedar roofing shakes and shingles from British Columbia. Canada responded by imposing an immediate embargo on Export of Cedar logs to . June 2,1086 Canada imposed import duties on certain . Computer parts Semion Eldors novels magazines published less frequently than quarterly Tea bags Oatmeal cider diesel rail cars and Christmas Trees. Get 16,1986 . Announced 15% duty on Canadian Pine Spruce and other softwoods imported to the . Nov. 7,1966 Canada announced $1.05 per Bushel import duty on . Feed com. Chicago Tribune or april source Chicago Tribune Wei report an Canadian consulate a Wyrel feeling Trade Between the two nations i shakes and shingles softwood lumber steel uranium and other  actions came on top of a Stream of protectionist legislative proposals on Capitol Hill. The Reagan administration has consistently maintained that it favors free Trade but has said will take action in particular cases to combat what it considers unfair Trade practices by  do not want protectionism. We do not want a Trade War while House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said tues Day when asked about Reagan s decision last week imposing retaliatory tariffs on some japanese products the 12 months since the lost Summit have seen major bumps in the Rood fro the Canadian Point of View fieldhouse said citing Trade and acid rain As the principal ones. He said canadians believed the administration s budget proposals on acid Niin not Only would not provide enough Money but tunnelled Money into projects that did not meet agreed upon criteria notably thai they should produce in the Short run a perceptible reduction in sul fur dioxide emissions. Half the acid rain that Falls in easter Canada originates in the United states. Acid rain produced by Fulfur dioxide platoon1 video rights contested los Angeles Cap the produce Rand distributor of platoon and Hoo Siers do not have to turn Over prints of the movies immediately to Citron inc. For conversion to videocassette a judge has ruled Vest Ron based in Stamford Conn.,had filed a lawsuit against hem Dale film corp. And hem Dale video corp., con tending they failed to live up to an agreement giving Vest Ron exclusive video distribution rights. Superior court judge Ricardo Torres refused monday to order the producer and distributor of the films to turn overprints to Vest Ron. Torres said he did t feel that an immediate order would be proper or that Vest Ron would suffer irreparable harm before a hearing on preliminary injunction april 16. Platoon was one of the biggest Box office hits of the year and earned four Academy awards on monday including est picture. Hoosiers received two Oscar nominations but no Gold statuettes. Vest Ron said hem Dale had refused re pealed requests to turn Over the films to Velron for videocassette distribution. I said it has suffered irreparable injury to its reputation and Good will As a result. John Daly chairman and chief executive of hem Dale which was executive producer of the movies was out of theoffice to attend the Oscar ceremonies and could t be reached for comment. From Coal burning plants and nitric acid from automobile exhaust pollutes lakes and streams and kills  his March 18 statement Reagan said the administration s actions will help Bot countries to belter understand and address this shared environmental  Trade fieldhouse said there is a perception that the administration has backed away from commitments Stem Ming from the first Summit in Quebe City in 1985, to seek reduction of Trade barriers and to fight protectionism. Despite this he said negotiations be tween the United Stales and Canada for a free Trade agreement arc now going full  critics of the Mulroney government have criticized holding such negotiations Al a time when Canada is subject to what they see As unfair . Trade actions. Such criticisms both in the acid rain and Trade areas have Hurt the prime minister and Are producing a tougher stance in his approach to the relation ship fieldhouse said whal we would like to accomplish is a Rafii Malion of the president s commitment to the spirit of Quebec established in the 1985 meeting he  have seen a series of troubling departures on the part of the administration Over the last year or  Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. April 2,1947 the sudden death of Greece s King George ii 56, caused the . Congress to warn the greeks to guard against communist attempts to seize control of the country s shaky government 30 years ago today. April 2, 1957 America s second atomic submarine the so Wolf became part of the . Fleet during commission ing ceremonies in Groton Conn,._ i ii i i in Proton Lonn by Cna and pols put bite on practical takers 20yearsogo today. New York a Long suffering employees of the municipal zoo the tar get of april fools pay tricks year alter year put the bile on jokers this year. When callers dialled the zoo and asked for or. Be Funt or Sally Mander they were switched to a group of Volunteer who tried to coax them into donating to the new York zoological society. The new York Telephone co prom ised 10 match All contributions. Zoo official Louann Forauer said the idea was first tried in san Antonio Texas and met with great Success. They got about $5,000 in donations last year and their phone company matched them she said. Brauer said the Telephone company in stalled a Bank of phones in the basement of the zoo s administration  from the phone company and the zoo started taking Calls monday an will be Manning phones for the rest of the week. When a prankster Calls up and ask for or. G. Raff for example the Volunteer will say something like or. Raffis being fed right now but you have reached the Bronx zoo " Brauer said then they ask the caller for a donation. It s a great Way to turn a perennial headache for us into a  nobody however asked what by Ena thought about All this. But Rumor had it that Buff a Low Pilar Bear Jack Rabbit Anna Conda Bill e. Goat aunty Lope Ray n. Deer Penn Gwyn p. Cock Oran u. Tangos e. Lot Art Ciscal and Pear a. Keel Fereall going to ask for an increase in rations and less Public viewing time for putting up with such nonsense. April 2, 1967 District axiom Ejim Garrison obtained warrants for the arrest of Gordon novel and a Cuba exile Leader on charges of conspiring to burglarized a munitions Bunker in 1961,novel was a missing witness in the Ken Nedy assassination probe. 10 years ago today. April 2, 1977 a Federal study re heated that one fifth of All americans had smoked marijuana at least once an that removing criminal penalties for pos session of Small amounts would not in crease usage of the drug