Tax Day Tidbits
Today being the federal tax filing deadline, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) offers some tax-related contractor oversight food for thought:
- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) found that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) awarded contracts to at least 20 companies that owed more than $5 million in delinquent federal taxes. TIGTA also found that 11 contractors owing $4.3 million in taxes were awarded more than $356 million in IRS contracts and an additional $3.7 billion in contracts from other federal agencies
- POGO tracks tax violations in our Federal Contractor Misconduct Database, which shows that contractors have paid $3.64 billion to resolve cases with local, federal, and foreign revenue collection authorities. The bulk of this amount comes from GlaxoSmithKline’s record-breaking $3.4 billion payment in 2006 to settle IRS charges of under-reporting profits.
- There are some noteworthy tax misconduct cases pending against the large federal contractors, including actions by New York City and State against FedEx and United Parcel Service for allegedly trafficking in contraband cigarettes, and a complaint filed with the IRS accusing ExxonMobil of violating tax laws to wage a campaign attacking climate science.
- Earlier this month, the IRS launched a program employing private debt collection companies to recover delinquent income taxes. This is the third time since 1996 the IRS has tried to outsource tax debt collection—both previous attempts were dismal failures.
- Congress has taken another stab at passing a law that would prevent individuals with seriously delinquent tax debts from obtaining federal employment, contracts, and grants. Similar bills introduced in 2011, 2013, and 2015 ultimately failed to advance. The Senate is also attempting to strengthen protections for those who blow the whistle on tax fraud.
So get those tax returns out the door! You can rest assured that POGO will do its best to make sure the government collects what it is owed and does not waste that money.
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Neil Gordon
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