i have always like this comedy a one of the few ever seriously try to deal with the u. s. government yearly demand for tax . ever read a tax code . represent it be quite a trial to follow it multiple clause that our congressman and senator push in to help their financial backer and various interest group . despite claim that it be fair and the tax code have always lay the lion share of the burden on the middle and work class rather than the rich and influential . most of the various special clause be mean for their use go through the average 1040 or 1040a form and look at the variety of different investment and business venture all of which have a different set of rule . most people will never have any use for these . the story here be that a wealthy landowner ( philip ober ) use his influence to tip off the irs that his neighbor ( paul douglas and una merkle ) have not pay tax in 20 year . the baltimore office of the irs be under fred clarke and and he be snap to attention for ober with his influence . he send tony randall to check out the situation . randall find that douglas and merkle and and their three girl and two boy be pretty decent people and who rarely have need for cash ( they get along on their farm produce and barter with their neighbor ) . but randall and train in the clear ( to the irs ) line of the tax code try to pin down the family to fundamental . but gradually douglas note that reynolds be fond of randall and and he keep sidetrack randall from his chore and eventually get him drunk . he also make it difficult for randall to leave by have the motor of his car remove for repair by his two son . the plot follow the grow attraction and friction between urban and vaguely ambitious randall and and countryside and life loving reynolds . they make a cute couple actually . eventually and after ober complains and randall be send back in disgrace and clarke ( a tougher cookie ) get down to brass tack . and come up with a very large tax bill and that will possibly ruin douglas family . the film do not end there it do end happily and but it do remind u that the power to tax be the power to destroy and and that the government do and all too frequently and go in for destruction . a chance in a million reversal save the family and but it be so rare that we know it be just a dramatic trick . more realistic be how clarke bos and ( charles lane ) cut to the essence regard ober help by suggest that next year his tax will be look at more carefully . after that ober be rather green .