Sen. Joni Ernst Introduces Tax DODGER Act to Tackle Federal Employee Tax Delinquency

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has introduced the Tax DODGER Act to address the issue of federal employees failing to pay their taxes, amid reports of significant tax delinquencies within the government.

As Tax Day looms, Senator Joni Ernst has taken a stand against federal employees who evade their tax responsibilities with the introduction of the Tax Delinquencies and Overdue Debts are Government Employees’ Responsibility (Tax DODGER) Act. This legislative move comes in response to findings that nearly 150,000 federal employees owe a staggering $1.5 billion in unpaid taxes, as reported by the IRS for fiscal year 2021.

The Tax DODGER Act aims to increase transparency and accountability by mandating the IRS to release an annual report detailing tax delinquencies among current and retired federal employees. This includes those who have failed to file necessary tax returns. Furthermore, the bill proposes a new legal provision that could bar individuals with ‘seriously delinquent’ tax debts from federal employment, unless they have been granted a hardship exemption.

Senator Ernst emphasized the unfairness of the situation, stating, “It is outrageous that while hardworking Americans fork over their money to Uncle Sam, nearly 150,000 bureaucrats refuse to pay their own taxes.” She also pointed out a Treasury Inspector General report which revealed that over 2,000 IRS employees had past-due tax balances amounting to more than $12 million by the end of the previous year.

In addition to addressing tax delinquency, the Tax DODGER Act seeks to restore public trust in the IRS. Ernst has previously expressed concerns about the agency’s outdated technology and its past political weaponization, notably during the Obama administration. She has called for an audit of the IRS, a move she initiated last fall in an effort to build a working relationship with DOGE leader Elon Musk.

If enacted, the Tax DODGER Act would require annual reports on tax-delinquent federal employees to be submitted to key government oversight bodies, including the Office of Personnel Management, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and the House Oversight Committee. The legislation also empowers agency leaders to take disciplinary actions, up to and including termination, against employees found to have understated their tax liabilities or failed to file returns.