Internal Revenue Service: Unpaid Taxes of Federal Workers and Annuitants
Abstract
As the nations tax collector, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collects about $2 trillion in federal taxes annually. While the majority of taxpayers appear to comply with the nations tax laws by filing their tax returns and paying their tax liabilities, some do not. IRS records as unpaid taxes or assessments amounts taxpayers identify they owe through the tax returns they file and amounts it determines are owed by taxpayers as identified through its various enforcement programs. Unpaid assessments also include accumulated penalties and interest. Despite the high level of tax collections, the agency continues to have a significant balance of cumulative unpaid assessments. As of September 30, 2000, IRS reported cumulative unpaid assessments of $240 billion, of which only $22 billion, or 9 percent, it estimated to be collectible. 2 Similarly, as of September 30, 1999, IRS estimated that of $231 billion in unpaid assessments, $21 billion, or 9 percent, was likely to be collected. IRS balance of unpaid assessments consists of various types of taxes, including payroll, corporate, and individual income taxes. Included in this cumulative balance are outstanding taxes IRS reports to be owed by.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA391214
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office