WASHINGTON — A recent IRS report showing that current and retired federal employees owe more than $3.4 billion in income taxes is fueling a drive on Capitol Hill to fire and prohibit hiring the tax delinquents on Uncle Sam’s payroll.
The report shows that about 98,000 federal civilian workers and postal employees — or roughly 3 percent of that workforce — owed about $1 billion in 2010, including 684 congressional staffers who owed more than $10 million.
While the total number of delinquent federal employees has dropped, the $1 billion in tax debt for current civilian workers has increased from about $600 million in 2004. When retirees and military personnel are included, nearly 280,000 people owed $3.4 billion, according to the data.
“If you work for the federal government and you don’t pay your taxes, you should be fired,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who has sponsored the Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act.
The measure cleared a committee last year and awaits a House vote. Under the bill, anyone who is “seriously delinquent” with a debt that has led to a public lien notice would be ineligible for federal work.
It would exempt active military personnel and federal workers who enter installment arrangements to pay off their tax debts.
A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
