Capitol Hill Workers Owed $9.3M in Back Taxes in 2009

The IRS doesn't have to go far to track down tax scofflaws: Capital Hill employees owed $9.3 million in overdue taxes at the end of last year, reports the Washington Post. And while their debt is only a sliver of the $1 billion owed by all federal workers, according to IRS data Hill employees' tax debt is rising at a faster rate than overall tax debt. All told, 638 people, or about 4% of employees, owe money. The average for Senate delinquents: $12,787. For those in the House: $15,498.

"If you're on the federal payroll and you're not paying your taxes, you should be fired," says Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation to do just that. But he may have trouble tracking down the culprits: The IRS data does not identify delinquent taxpayers by name or party affiliation.
(More tax stories.)