41 Obama White House aides owe the IRS $831,000 in back taxes -- and they're not alone

LA Times ^ | 9/10/2010 | Andrew Malcom

[Qbert]

Over the years a lot of suspicion has built up across the country about Washington and its population of opportunistic transients coming to see themselves as a special kind of person, somehow above average working Americans who don't work down in that former swamp.

Well, finally, an end to all those undocumented doubts. Thanks to some diligent digging by the Washington Post, those suspicions can at last be put to rest.

They're correct. Accurate. Dead-on. Laser-guided. On target. Bingo-bango. As clear as it's always seemed to those Americans who don't feel special entitlements and do meet their government obligations.

We now know that federal employees across the nation owe fully $1 billion in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.

As in, 1,000 times one million dollars. All this political jabber about giving middle-class ...

... Americans a tax cut. Thousands of feds have been giving themselves one all along -- unofficially. And these tax scofflaws include more than three dozen folks who work for the president with that newly decorated Oval Office.

The Post's T.W. Farnum did some research and found that out of the total sum, just 638 workers on Capitol Hill owe the IRS $9.3 million in back taxes. As in, overdue. The IRS gets stiffed by the legislative body that controls its budget. How Washington works.

[Snip]

Privacy laws prevent release of individual tax delinquents' names. But we do know that as of the end of 2009, 41 people inside Obama's very own White House owe the government they're allegedly running a total of $831,055 in back taxes. That would cover a lot of special chocolate desserts in the White House Mess.

[Rapscallion]

I would just love to know the total unpaid tax liability of Obama’s czars.

[tiapam]

"I want the names."

Me, too! And how much each owe's!

[NautiNurse]

Another notable thread about the "merits" of federal employees. You know, the self-proclaimed sole hard-working, arrogant, and deserving-of-mandatory-respect workers in this nation. Only thing is---this thread will not take the wind out of the sails of the anti-federal worker crowd! Scofflaws!

Federal Organization/Type of worker	Number of delinquent employees	Balance owed to the IRS
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts	754	$ 11,808,236
Agriculture	2,265	$ 17,824,971
Air Force	5,817	$ 46,787,244
Armed Forces Retirement Home	14	$ 164,072
Army	11,330	$ 89,966,859
Broadcasting Board of Governors	56	$ 653,395
Civilian retirees	40,000	$ 454,938,448
Commerce	1,556	$ 22,246,314
Commission on Civil Rights	3	$ 2,537
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	13	$ 160,623
Consumer Product Safety Commission	12	$ 96,638
Corporation for National and Community Service	24	$ 108,202
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency	61	$ 420,776
Defense	4,454	$ 38,495,128
Education	163	$ 3,995,066
Energy	331	$ 4,899,649
Environmental Protection Agency	442	$ 5,862,994
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	84	$ 1,303,316
Executive Office of the President	41	$ 831,055
Export-Import Bank of the United States	10	$ 166,288
Farm Credit Administration	7	$ 17,290
Federal Communications Commission	58	$ 712,416
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	155	$ 2,249,326
Federal Election Commission	8	$ 115,747
Federal Housing Finance Board	4	$ 79,829
Federal Labor Relations Authority	7	$ 11,599
Federal Maritime Commission	3	$ 21,646
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	7	$ 25,662
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission	5	$ 11,769
Federal Reserve System - Board of Governors	81	$ 1,076,733
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	4	$ 23,519
Federal Trade Commission	35	$ 363,579
General Services Administration	385	$ 4,646,308
Government Accountability Office	66	$ 704,485
Government Printing Office	158	$ 2,143,812
Health and Human Services	2,841	$ 37,327,491
Holocaust Memorial Museum	5	$ 42,872
Homeland Security	4,856	$ 37,012,174
Housing and Urban Development	421	$ 4,991,608
Institute of Museum and Library Services	3	$ 22,541
Interior	1,812	$ 12,684,470
International Boundary and Water Comm.	8	$ 6,879
International Trade Commission	12	$ 63,936
Justice	1,971	$ 14,350,152
Labor	463	$ 7,481,463
Merit Systems Protection Board	10	$ 126,398
Military active duty	28,853	$ 109,557,536
Military Reserves/National Guard	30,631	$ 219,525,138
Military retirees	84,034	$ 1,525,688,378
Millennium Challenge Corporation	9	$ 8,412
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	327	$ 3,854,072
National Archives and Records Administration	100	$ 341,061
National Credit Union Administration	17	$ 48,299
National Endowment for the Arts	7	$ 34,740
National Endowment for the Humanities	4	$ 79,279
National Labor Relations Board	43	$ 497,974
National Science Foundation	67	$ 588,764
National Transportation Safety Board	8	$ 70,469
Navy	6,841	$ 72,432,604
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	57	$ 1,099,897
Office of Government Ethics	3	$ 75,304
Office of Personnel Management	172	$ 2,367,268
Office of Special Counsel	6	$ 34,737
Other civilian	4,125	$ 37,921,682
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	3	$ 1,605
Peace Corps	31	$ 75,459
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	43	$ 334,211
Presidio Trust	10	$ 680,682
Railroad Retirement Board	31	$ 531,798
Securities and Exchange Commission	91	$ 1,030,485
Selective Service System	5	$ 68,163
Small Business Administration	249	$ 2,745,489
Smithsonian Institution	251	$ 2,226,791
Social Security Administration	1,920	$ 17,841,329
State	356	$ 3,259,502
Tennessee Valley Authority	292	$ 6,766,333
Transportation	1,328	$ 17,098,463
Treasury	1,204	$ 7,670,814
U.S. Agency for International Development	123	$ 1,104,009
U.S. House of Representatives	421	6,524,892
U.S. Postal Service	27,807	$ 283,365,996
U.S. Senate	217	2,774,836
U.S. Tax Court	4	$ 51,111
United States Access Board	3	$ 11,495
Veterans Affairs	12,013	$ 156,604,799

SOURCE: IRS | GRAPHIC: Karen Yourish and Kenneth W. Smith Jr. - The Washington Post

[hal ogen]

Please. How disrespectful to our “public servants”. They work so hard that they shouldn’t have to pay taxes. That is for you, Citizen. Now, shut up, get to work and pay your taxes. Move along!

[Qbert]

Office of Government ‘Ethics’:

3 delinquent employees: $ 75,304 owed to IRS...

[NautiNurse]

U.S. Tax Court — 4 delinquents owing $ 51,111

[AndyJackson]

I don’t understand this....at my agency you get in trouble if you owe back taxes.

Because this is probably nonsense. I know from experience that if the IRS has a question about your return, then they carry on the books that you owe them an assessment based upon single filer, no deductions, which can easily add up to $15-$20K. That a number of folks at the WH or anywhere else in the world are carried on the books as owing this amount of money is no particular surprise. At the end of the day, my bet is that it is a best a wash, and in fact, the IRS will probably end up owing refunds to most of them.

I know from my time in the military that federal state and local taxes are withheld from government employees, so they could not, in fact, possibly owe this amount of money.

[rockinqsranch]

Agree 100%. Just said to my wife within the past hour after reading some other post exactly the same thing. “Get ready for the Hildebeast. They’re setting it up now.”

[Qbert]

“That a number of folks at the WH or anywhere else in the world are carried on the books as owing this amount of money is no particular surprise. At the end of the day, my bet is that it is a best a wash, and in fact, the IRS will probably end up owing refunds to most of them.”

I have to doubt that. There have been so many admitted tax cheats with this bunch already, that it wouldn’t surprise me to see a lot more. Why would the minions be any different from Geithner, Sebelius, etc.?

[spintreebob]

Your assumption is that their paycheck is their sole source of income. Washington is now Chicago style where one takes a job for the side deals that can be arranged. Access costs money. Who do you think gets that money but the gatekeepers.

I’ll bet much of the taxes owed is for the side money they had to declare on their tax amended tax form in order to get the White House job in the first place.

[Stultis]

Privacy laws prevent release of individual tax delinquents' names.

I'd settle for frontal and profile head shots with a full sets of finger prints.

Anyway, just imagine, this is (I presume?) only the unpaid taxes the IRS knows to be due. Doesn't even include taxes on concealed and unreported income, taxes deferred by fraudulent write offs, and etc.

BTW, here's an excellent wedge issue for a 2012 Republican presidential candidate: He (or she) promises to sign an Executive Order on day one in office, empowering and requiring the IRS to withhold delinquent tax payments from all federal paychecks.

[okie01]

BTW, here's an excellent wedge issue for a 2012 Republican presidential candidate: He (or she) promises to sign an Executive Order on day one in office, empowering and requiring the IRS to withhold delinquent tax payments from all federal paychecks.

We can improve on that.

The GOP majority in 2011 should immediately sponsor a bill saying that nobody who is in arrears to the IRS may hold a federal job.

That way, we not only eventually collect their frigging taxes, we get them gone from government. And they shouldn't be replaced!

[Darkwolf377]

“We talk about welfare and we talk about poverty, but what people really want is fairness. They want people paying their fair share of taxes. They want that money allocated fairly. One of the distressing things about Katrina was the fact that we have not made systematic investments. And the only way we’re going to make it is by making sure that those of us who are fortunate enough to have the money actually make a contribution.”—BO

[StAnDeliver]

Treasury 1,204 $7,670,814

Is this just Geithner? lol ... His staff are following his lead ...

[StAnDeliver]

"U.S. Tax Court — 4 delinquents owing $51,111"

Think about it -- the sheer convenience of showing up for your Tax Court summons, merely by walking across the hall, probably proved irresistable...

[muawiyah]

The missing piece of the puzzle reveals it's SAN FRANCISCO VALUES at work:

Federal Organization/Type of worker	Per Person
Presidio Trust	$68,068.20
Office of Government Ethics	$25,101.33
Education	$24,509.61
Tennessee Valley Authority	$23,172.37
Executive Office of the President	$20,269.63
Federal Housing Finance Board	$19,957.25
National Endowment for the Humanities	$19,819.75
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	$19,296.44
Military retirees	$18,155.61
Railroad Retirement Board	$17,154.77
Export-Import Bank of the United States	$16,628.80
Labor	$16,158.67
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts	$15,660.79
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	$15,515.67
U.S. House of Representatives	$15,498.56
Energy	$14,802.56
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	$14,511.78
Federal Election Commission	$14,468.38
Commerce	$14,297.12
Office of Personnel Management	$13,763.19
Selective Service System	$13,632.60
Government Printing Office	$13,568.43
Federal Reserve System - Board of Governors	$13,293.00
Environmental Protection Agency	$13,264.69
Health and Human Services	$13,138.86
Veterans Affairs	$13,036.28
Transportation	$12,875.35
U.S. Senate	$12,787.26
U.S. Tax Court	$12,777.75
Merit Systems Protection Board	$12,639.80
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	$12,355.62
Federal Communications Commission	$12,283.03
General Services Administration	$12,068.33
Housing and Urban Development	$11,856.55
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	$11,786.15
Armed Forces Retirement Home	$11,719.43
Broadcasting Board of Governors	$11,667.77
National Labor Relations Board	$11,580.79
Civilian retirees	$11,373.46
Securities and Exchange Commission	$11,324.01
Small Business Administration	$11,026.06
Government Accountability Office	$10,674.02
Navy	$10,588.01
Federal Trade Commission	$10,387.97
U.S. Postal Service	$10,190.46
Social Security Administration	$9,292.36
Other civilian	$9,193.14
State	$9,155.90
U.S. Agency for International Development	$8,975.68
Smithsonian Institution	$8,871.68
National Transportation Safety Board	$8,808.63
National Science Foundation	$8,787.52
Defense	$8,642.82
Holocaust Memorial Museum	$8,574.40
Consumer Product Safety Commission	$8,053.17
Air Force	$8,043.19
Army	$7,940.59
Agriculture	$7,869.74
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	$7,772.35
Homeland Security	$7,621.95
Institute of Museum and Library Services	$7,513.67
Justice	$7,280.65
Federal Maritime Commission	$7,215.33
Military Reserves/National Guard	$7,166.76
Interior	$7,000.26
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency	$6,897.97
Treasury	$6,371.11
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	$5,879.75
Office of Special Counsel	$5,789.50
International Trade Commission	$5,328.00
National Endowment for the Arts	$4,962.86
Corporation for National and Community Service	$4,508.42
United States Access Board	$3,831.67
Military active duty	$3,797.09
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	$3,666.00
National Archives and Records Administration	$3,410.61
National Credit Union Administration	$2,841.12
Farm Credit Administration	$2,470.00
Peace Corps	$2,434.16
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission	$2,353.80
Federal Labor Relations Authority	$1,657.00
Millennium Challenge Corporation	$934.67
International Boundary and Water Comm.	$859.88
Commission on Civil Rights	$845.67
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	$535.00

 

[muawiyah]

John Maynard Keynes has been totally discredited time and again.

No one is a Keynesian anymore.

[muawiyah]

You would be expanding the power of the federal government if you did so.

By logical extension IRS would acquire the power to fire anyone at a government contractor's simply by concocting an IRS deficiency.

So, who can be construed to be a "government contractor"? To start with any retailer who ever sold anything to a federal agency via credit card.

Please think this through.

[NautiNurse]

"U.S. Tax Court — 4 delinquents owing $51,111"

Think about it -- the sheer convenience of showing up for your Tax Court summons, merely by walking across the hall, probably proved irresistable...

While still on the time clock. Brilliant! These folks are the most efficient federal workers in the U.S.

[NautiNurse]

U.S. Postal Service

27,807

$ 283,365,996

By your twisted logic, USPS workers owing delinquent taxes are the only honest tax cheats.