Saturday, 21 September 2024

Report Discloses How Much In Unpaid Taxes IRS Employees And Contractors Owe

100 Percent Fed Up
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The Department of the Treasury’s Inspector-General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports that at least 5,800 IRS employees and contractors owe $50 million in overdue taxes, The Epoch Times reports.

According to the outlet, more than half of them haven’t been required to agree to a payment plan.

From The Epoch Times:

In a report made available to The Epoch Times, TIGTA said auditors found 3,414, or 4 percent, of the 85,359 employees at the IRS have unpaid taxes. Of those with payment plans, $9 million remains unpaid, while $12 million is owed by employees without a payment plan.

Among IRS contractors, which include many former tax agency employees, 2,573 of 25,732 (10 percent) contractors have unpaid taxes. Of those without a payment plan, $17 million is owed and those with a payment plan have $8 million outstanding.

The TIGTA also reported that 512 former IRS employees were rehired, either as employees or contractors, despite having “tax compliance issues or conduct and performance problems, including criminal misconduct, sexual misconduct, inability to perform duties, fighting and assault, and unauthorized access to tax return information, have been rehired by the agency and its contractors,” according to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who requested the watchdog’s report.

“The spirit of 1776 is still alive and well with a tax revolt happening right now at the most unlikely of places in Washington, the IRS. My audit of the IRS reveals more than 5,800 IRS and contractor employees owe nearly $50 million in overdue taxes. And it only gets worse,” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said.

“While the IRS warns tax evasion is a serious crime punishable by imprisonment, fines, and civil penalties, and even though the IRS has the authority to fire these tax cheats – just 20 of the 5,800 IRS tax evaders were fired,” Ernst continued.

“My audit also found 282 employees rehired by the IRS were known to have multiple conduct issues including criminal and sexual misconduct and tax evasion,” she continued.

“Taxpayers will never trust the IRS when the agency’s own auditors can’t even pass a tax audit. I am introducing the Audit the IRS Act, requiring annual audits of agency employees and the firing of every IRS agent who isn’t paying their taxes,” she added.

Per Joni Ernst:

Ernst’s audit of the IRS revealed:

  • More than 5,800 IRS and contractor employees owe nearly $50 million in overdue taxes.
  • Despite the IRS having the authority to fire employees who willfully fail to pay taxes, just 20 of the agency’s tax cheats were terminated.
  • Over 500 former IRS employees with tax compliance issues or conduct and performance problems, including criminal misconduct, sexual misconduct, inability to perform duties, fighting and assault, and unauthorized access to tax return information, have been rehired by the agency and its contractors. Of these, 282 rehires had multiple previously documented conduct and performance issues.

    • Read the full report from TIGTA HERE.


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