Not bad at all (IRS workers receives bonuses)

[ILLMAS]

Some people are just lucky.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-irs-workers-bonuses-20140422,0,3831148.story

[kcjenkins]

For those who don't like links: emphasis added by me.

More than 2,800 Internal Revenue Service workers who had been disciplined recently received millions of dollars in bonuses and time off as part of an employee recognition program, a new government audit shows.

The IRS has a program that rewards its employees for a job well done, but a report released Tuesday by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that, between October 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012, more than 2,800 recently disciplined IRS workers got more than $2.8 million in monetary awards and more than 27,000 hours in time-off awards.

The employee infractions included not paying their taxes.

“While not prohibited, providing awards to employees who have been disciplined for failing to pay federal taxes appears to create a conflict with the IRS’ charge of ensuring the integrity of the system of tax administration,” J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, said in a statement.

The watchdog conducted the audit because of new federal guidance issued in fiscal year 2011 that requires agencies to reduce spending on awards programs beginning in fiscal year 2012.

The inspector general recommends that the tax agency’s personnel chief institute a policy requiring management to consider conduct issues resulting in disciplinary actions, particularly the nonpayment of taxes, before awarding bonuses and paid time off. The inspector general said he has been assured by the IRS personnel chief that, by the end of June, the agency will study establishing a policy requiring management to consider disciplinary actions before giving out performance awards.

The audit also showed that most IRS workers get cash and time off in the agency’s award program.

For fiscal year 2011, the IRS awarded almost $92 million in cash and almost 520,000 hours of time off to 70,500 of its 104,400 workers. In fiscal 2012, it awarded $86 million in cash and almost 490,000 hours of time off to 67,870 of its 98,000 workers.

The audit didn’t find any violations with the IRS’ overall awards program, agency spokesman José Manuel Vejarano points out.

The IRS has developed a policy linking conduct to performance awards for executives and senior level employees, he said.

“Even without a formal policy in place, over the past four years, the IRS has not issued awards to any executives that were subject to a disciplinary action,” Vejarano said. “We are also considering a similar policy for the entire IRS workforce, which would be subject to negotiations with the National Treasury Employees Union.”

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[Richcpaman]

How much did Lois Lerner get?

Rich

[Jack from Ohio]

How much did Lois Lerner get?

Rich

It is why she is hiding behind the 5th amendment....

[Terry D EA]

I want a bonus refund for not paying my taxes. Or, my job performance sucks so when do I get my award bonus? Preferably before you discipline me so the discipline has no effect. How ridiculous and screwed up our Government really is. The real question will the IRS go after these folks who now have been identified for all the penalties and interest that someone outside the IRS would be charged.

[joanmcq]

I wonder if some of these employees are on an installment plan. IRS employees are disciplined if they even file an extension, so I can't believe there are many out there with unpaid taxes. Not filing, not paying can result in losing your job; a result most of us don't have to face.

[Jack from Ohio]

I wonder if some of these employees are on an installment plan. IRS employees are disciplined if they even file an extension, so I can't believe there are many out there with unpaid taxes. Not filing, not paying can result in losing your job; a result most of us don't have to face.

I find myself believing it very easily!! The all the "trash" that has been uncovered about management at the IRS, I am in total doubt about ANY of the departments being ethical and following the regulations.

Please show me where ANY IRS employees have been disciplined more than a tongue lashing? Even Lois Lerner (sp?) is keeping her pension and bonuses.

It was easy for me to believe.

[kcjenkins]

From the LA Times, hardly a right-wing source:

The disclosure that 1,146 employees who had been disciplined for not paying taxes received a total of about $1.1 million in bonuses draws bipartisan outrage.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-irs-bonuses-20140424,0,7198534.story#ixzz2zwFSbJs9

From CNN Money:

The tax problems include willful understatement of tax liabilities, late payments and under-reporting of income, according to the report issued by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

The report says that providing awards to employees who fail to pay taxes "appears to create a conflict with the IRS's charge of ensuring the integrity of the system of tax administration." (Appears? You think?)

[Catherine]

Gee -- maybe the bonuses were so they could pay their back-due taxes? In which case, I have a couple of clients who could use a job at the IRS themselves - they might finally resolve pesky tax problems.