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I’m from the government and
I’m here to not pay my taxes

January 27, 2007

While you’re working on your return — and you are working on your 1040 this weekend, right? — here’s an interesting noncompliance tidbit.

Nearly half a million current and former U.S. federal employees have not filed tax returns. Collectively, they owe almost $3 billion.

Britannica Blog (and thanks to Tom Panelas for pointing out the item) elaborates: "Although I cannot confirm this, I have noticed that PEN (Postal Employee Network) has given the report credence at its website, quoting that ‘The federal agency with the highest number of delinquent taxpayers is the United States Postal Service, where 56,652 employees owe more than $320 million.’"

Well, here’s confirmation from WTOP, the all-news radio station in Washington, D.C.:

More than 450,000 active and retired federal employees did not voluntarily comply with federal income tax requirements for the 2005 tax year, according to documents obtained by WTOP through the Freedom of Information Act.

Precise balance due: $2,799,950,165.

WTOP also reports that every federal agency has employees who failed to comply with federal tax laws. Even 71 workers in the Executive Office of the President, which includes the White House, owe 2005 taxes totaling $664,527.

So Uncle Sam’s message, at least in this instance, is do as I say, not as some of my employees do.

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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