Johanns Sponsors Bill to Block Bonuses to IRS Employees Who Break Tax Law or Have Tax Debt

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today joined several of his colleagues in introducing legislation to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from providing bonuses to employees who owe outstanding federal tax debt or who have violated U.S. tax law. Earlier this week, Johanns pressed Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen on the unacceptable targeting of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
“From targeting organizations based on political beliefs to awarding nearly $3 million in taxpayer dollars to staff who – believe it or not – didn’t pay their taxes, the American people are rightly fed up with the IRS,” Johanns said. “The irony is almost laughable. I agree that taxes are too high for many hard-working families, but what’s good for the goose is good for the gander and IRS employees should be leading by example, not rewarding bad behavior”
At issue is the report from the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration exposing IRS bonuses awarded to personnel who have violated the tax laws or who have been subject to serious infractions of employee policy.
According to the Inspector General, close to $3 million was awarded to staff with violations on their records, with about half of that amount going to people with tax violations on their record.
Other personnel at the IRS received cash bonuses or other awards despite being cited for drug use, making violent threats, fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits, and misusing government credit cards.
In fact, the report indicates that close to 70 percent of IRS personnel receive some sort of performance reward.
The bill, the “No Bonuses for Delinquent IRS Employees Act” would:
• Prohibit the IRS from providing any performance award to any IRS employee who owes an outstanding federal tax debt;
• Block any performance award to an employee who has entered into an installment payment plan for an outstanding tax liability until the payment plan has been completed.
Companion legislation, H.R. 4531, has been introduced in the House by Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX).