Over 280,000 Federal Workers Owe $3.3 Billion in Back Taxes

Over 280,000 federal workers and retirees owed more than $3.3 billion in back income taxes in 2009 (up from $3.0 billion in 2008 and $2.7 billion in 2007).

The cabinet departments with the largest percentages of employee/retiree tax deadbeats are:

1. Housing & Urban Development: 4.40%
2. Veterans Affairs: 4.04%
3. Education: 3.86%
4. Army: 3.69%
5. Health & Human Services: 3.58%
6. Defense: 3.20%
7. Commerce: 3.15%
8. Air Force: 3.14%
9. State: 3.10%
10. Navy: 2.95%

The agencies and commissions with the largest percentages of employee/retiree tax deadbeats are:

1. Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled: 14.29%
2. Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission: 11.11%
3. U.S. Access Board: 7.32%
4. Government Printing Office: 6.83%
5. National Capital Planning Commission: 6.67%
6. Small Business Administration: 6.34%
7. Federal Labor Relations Authority: 5.79%
8. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: 5.77%
9. Armed Forces Retirement Home: 5.28%
10. U.S. Office of Special Counsel: 5.26%

Other departments and agencies:

• Federal Reserve Board: 4.32%
• U.S. House of Representatives: 3.93%
• U.S. Senate: 3.04%
• SEC: 2.44%
• U.S. Tax Court: 1.75%
• Treasury Department: 0.99% (the lowest delinquency rate among cabinet departments)

Press and blogosphere coverage:

• The Atlantic, Why Do White House Staffers Have Trouble Paying Taxes?
• Fox News, White House Aides Owed More Than $800G in Back Taxes
• The Hill, Hill Staffers Owe More Than $9M in Taxes
• L.A. Times, 41 Obama White House Aides Owe the IRS $831,000 in Back Taxes -- and They're Not Alone
• Washington Post, Capitol Hill Employees Owed $9.3 Million in Back Taxes Last Year, Data Show