Federal Workers Owe More Than $3B in Back Taxes

ABC News:

Working for Uncle Sam comes with some great perks, like job stability, posh benefits packages, and in many cases, average salaries that are higher than what the same job pays in the private sector.

That's why Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is irked that nearly 100,000 civilian federal employees owe the IRS $962 million in back taxes. He thinks they should pay up or be fired.

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[schatsie]

11:06 PM on 03/21/2010

If Warren and Billy can defer Billions of taxes INDEFINITELY without interest or penalties, tell me why you think that the rest of us should pick up the TAB for them.....NO INTEREST NO PENALTIES and all perfectly legal.......

And besides that, Buffett's Mid American Energy collects STATE SALES TAXES and KEEPS them,,,,so you know what that means, it means the TAX RATE goes up on the rest of us to make up for that......

[lippylaroux]

09:17 PM on 03/20/2010

Except for Rep. Charles Rangle (D). He is exempt because of his position and race.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

06:12 PM on 03/20/2010

Firing them will really increase the chances the money gets paid back, right?

[WindySailor]

01:34 PM on 03/19/2010

Any federal employee in arrears should have 12 months to pay up or be fired.

[totaldisbelief]

12:05 PM on 03/19/2010

Come April 15th loads of Americans will owe back taxes.......if you're unemployed and lost the roof over your head are you really going to have the money to pay your taxes?...or the desire?
If you can hardly feed your family now are you worried about paying taxes for a system that has abandoned you?
Let the 1% pick up the tab this time.

[rhubardpi]

02:07 AM on 03/19/2010

I worked for the IRS Collection Division for 28 years. The big problem is upper management at the IRS including the Commissioner. They either are largely incompetent or on the take. Have a pleasant April 15th everyone.

[coolaid8]

10:57 PM on 03/18/2010

I am all for getting these people to pay what they owe, but you can't fire them as soon as a lien is put on becuase the IRS acts pretty arbitrarily when it comes to leining. On the other hand, a taste of their own medicine wouldn't hurt - dealing with the federal government is such an unpleasant experience for so many of us, they should get to experience it too. Maybe it might even make our government a little more responsive to its people.

[vippy]

10:33 PM on 03/18/2010

don't go after these federal workers until you first deal with the tax cheats with off-shore accounts. That will make the 3 billion look puny compared what they could haul in from those at the UBS and Liechtenstein Bank, Cayman Islands, etc. But that would involve our own congress so they won't do the right thing, but keeping up appearances!

[rbchilds]

11:12 AM on 03/19/2010

A tax cheat is a tax cheat regardless of the amount or what has been done with the money. Same laws apply to both, federal workers should get no grace in breaking the law.

[totaldisbelief]

12:08 PM on 03/19/2010

so your ok with the top 1% paying a little?

[rbchilds]

11:15 AM on 03/19/2010

On second thought Federal Employees not paying their taxes is more egregious it is the same as stealing from your employer.

[Torrentlover]

07:40 PM on 03/18/2010

Is Geithner still part of that gang?

[larmarch5]

01:25 PM on 03/18/2010

Federal employees who owe taxes are entitled to be on payment plans just like other taxpayers. And IRS employees who are on payment plans (many on those plans before becoming IRS employees) get counseled by their managers each year to be sure they don't miss a payment. How would you like to have to sit down with your boss to discuss your payment plan?

[Daly]

12:51 PM on 03/18/2010

OK, I can agree with this... lets start with his Congress/Senate and trickle down starting with the largest wage earners 1st; then we can look at the companies that do business with the gov; in many cases we have 1970 processes to monitor what should be quickly done with technology.

I for one am amazed that the congress/senate still today cannot/do not use webcast - trillion dollar companies can do it but these pampered clowns are wasting time & money as they lie to us.

[marijam]

12:08 PM on 03/18/2010

They should be made to pay up or be fired.