Recent IRS data shows that 107,658 federal employees were behind on their taxes in September 2011, a substantial 10 percent increase compared to the 98,291 federal workers listed as delinquent in 2010. Tax delinquency has risen for government employees as well. Roughly 3.6 percent of the federal workforce was behind on taxes in 2012, compared to 3.3 percent two years earlier. However, these individuals owed 2 percent less in taxes in 2011 than in 2010 — the total delinquent sum for federal workers fell from $1.03 billion to $1.01 billion during that time.
An innocent spouse relief may be granted by the IRS to individuals who spouses are responsible for the delinquent taxes due — assuming they meet the proper criteria. Texas taxpayers who fail to file accurate returns on time can face fines and penalties from the IRS, regardless of whether they are private or government employees. These fines and penalties can sometimes be waived with proper representation. Individuals who are interested in negotiating these and similar forms of relief with the IRS should contact an attorney specializing in tax law to learn more.
According to the IRS, federal employees are significantly more prompt when paying taxes compared to the general population, while military members were less delinquent than either group; the agency found that approximately 8.2 percent of U.S. citizens were behind on their taxes, while just 2 percent of active-duty service members and 2.4 percent of National Guard members and reservists were delinquent in 2010 and 2011.
An increased number of military and federal retirees owed late taxes in 2011. The delinquency rate among retired service members rose from 3.8 percent to 4.3 percent between 2010 and 2011 while the rate for federal retirees climbed from around 2 percent to 2.4 percent during the same period.
Source: Federal Times, “Nearly 108,000 feds are behind on their taxes,” Stephen Losey, March 13, 2013
