AOL News has a new home! The Huffington Post.
Click here to visit the new home of Politics Daily!Hot on HuffPost:
See More Stories
Obama Announces Birth Control Compromise
10 Things That Mean Less Than A Trump Endorsement
Taxes Owed by Congressional Employees Top $9 Million
The newspaper used Internal Revenue Service data to determine that 638 congressional employees -- about 4 percent of the workforce on the Hill -- owed the IRS for overdue federal taxes. That compared to a nationwide delinquency rate of 3 percent.
Even so, the more than $9 million owed by Capitol Hill workers is a small fraction of the $1 billion owed by federal employees across government.
Since the IRS does not identify delinquent taxpayers by name, much less party affiliation, it's unknown if any senators or U.S. representatives are among the scofflaws. The Post said the average unpaid tax bill in the Senate was $12,787, while the House average was $15,498.
Some Republican lawmakers say any federal employee who owes the government taxes should be sacked. "If you're on the federal payroll and you're not paying your taxes, you should be fired," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who recently introduced a bill calling for dismissals of such workers unless they have entered into payment plans.
The Post said it also found that 41 employees of the Executive Office of the President owed a total of $831,000 in back taxes -- about the same amount as what was owed by workers in that office during the last year of President George W. Bush's administration.
Our New Approach to Comments
Add a Comment
DISGUSTING! IF IT WERE A COMMON CITIZEN, HE/SHE WOULD BE PROSECUTED.
September 15 2010 at 9:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI wonder if the IRS goes after these people like they do for ordinary citizen. I have tax problem but I am dealing with it. They were ready to take bussines assets lien account and put me out of buissines. Some how I don't think they do that to goverment employes
September 12 2010 at 8:52 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI am please to see from what I have read that the members of the US SENATE, AND US CONGRESS do pay Social Security now. However the cap has to be raised to the top of the highest paid salary of a public official. The president gets $450,000 a year so the cap for social security should be raised to $450,000 for all US citizens.
September 10 2010 at 3:09 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyLet's see they work for the government, their boss works for the government, the IRS is run by the government, and their paycheck comes from the government. Not sure if the government has enough control over them to make them pay. Maybe if the government controlled their heath care, their retirement, and the banks they use, silly me they need to control the energy they use. Yeah then it will be better...Little scary that our government wants more control over us and they can not control thier own employees, I almost forgot, THEY ARE NOT GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES THEY ARE OUR EMPLOYEES!
September 10 2010 at 2:42 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down ReplyWhat the hell is going on? Why hasn't the IRS try to collect these monies from these employees? How many times have we seen on the news of some notorious or famous person being taken to court because of owed taxes? And these people that work right there are not doing it? This is crazy!!! I believe then we all should stop paying taxes, and then things will be fine... What to you guys think? Do I hear an AMEN???
September 10 2010 at 12:48 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyIt's time for a law that says if your employed by the government as a representative or aid and you have back taxes then you should be given 1 year to bring those taxes current or you loose your job and can never work there again!
September 09 2010 at 11:24 PM Report abuse Permalink +24 rate up rate down ReplyFire them. We certainly have enough unemployed people who would willingly pay taxes just to have a job. Fire them and then fine them.
September 09 2010 at 10:24 PM Report abuse Permalink +35 rate up rate down ReplySo What Else Is New In Washington
September 09 2010 at 9:51 PM Report abuse Permalink +38 rate up rate down ReplyI agree that we should have the names of these people. They are our employees! We are paying them!
September 09 2010 at 9:12 PM Report abuse Permalink +55 rate up rate down Replythat should be the first thing that is taken care of by the employess and elected representative. pay their taxes now or suspend them from their work.
September 09 2010 at 9:11 PM Report abuse Permalink +50 rate up rate down Reply
Follow Politics Daily
Obama: Allies Will Soon Take Control of Libyan Campaign
Democrats Could Lose Senate, Biden Warns Party
South Dakota Governor Signs Tough Abortion Bill Into Law
Republican Sen. Scott Brown: GOP's Planned Parenthood Cut 'Goes Too Far'
Supreme Court Takes Death Row Appeal, Turns Down Campaign Finance Challenge
POPULAR
- Nancy Pelosi Confirms House May Skip Up or Down Vote on Senate Health Bill
- The Five Most Racist Obama Cartoons?
- Huck Finn, Censorship and the N-Word Controversy
- Soraya M., Stoned to Death for Being an "Inconvenient Wife''
- Kathryn Rogers: 6 Things to Know About Rush Limbaugh's Bride-To-Be
- Prop 8 Ruling: Same-Sex Marriage Foes Conduct Post-Mortem
- World's Best City for Men? New York City No. 1 in Survey
News From Our Partners
- The case for a global currency
- Female soldiers fight the brass ceiling
- Catholic tribalism and the contraceptive flap
- The two Americas clash at CPAC
- A birth-control compromise could divide the right
- More Stories »
- Obama Tricked the Right Over Contraception
- Hey, GOP: Bring Back Our 2nd Party
- Santorum: Mitt Romney Bought CPAC
- Palin: GOP Needs an 'Instinctive' Conservative
- Romney Edges Ron Paul in Maine Caucus
- More Stories »
- Palin on Palin impersonators: I'm creating more jobs than Obama
- Former Bachmann spokeswoman joins Santorum team
- McCain to travel to Egypt to resolve dispute over U.S. rights workers
- Paul: Skipped CPAC to Try and Win in Maine
- The Phantom Menace: A Deal On the Payroll Tax Break
- More Stories »
- 10 things you need to know today: February 12, 2012
- 10 things you need to know today: February 11, 2012
- Will money trouble sink Newt Gingrich's campaign?
- Good day, bad day: February 10, 2012
- Obama's birth control compromise: 'Still unacceptable'?
- More Stories »
Top News
More News
More on Aol
Local News
More Blog/Sites
Sites and Services
HuffPost Politics
49 Comments