Comments on: Private Debt Collectors Can’t Reach IRS’s “Low-Hanging Fruit”

By: Steve Dale

Steve Dale — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:28:19 +0000

I understand the IRS has stopped private collection; but when they were active I used http://cpinstituteonline.org for help and they were very effective. Steve

By: Jose D. Iraheta

Jose D. Iraheta — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:56:28 +0000

Thought you might be interested in this news article. Texas is home to tens of thousands of military families. The law firm of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, L.L.P. handles the collection of property taxes for the majority of Texas’ taxing entities. It believes itself to be above the law in its collection practices. Their collection practices include violating Texas and Federal laws that entitle military personnel, and their families, to protections, waivers, and deferments with regards to property taxes.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou080523_ac_militarytax.202f3ebc.html

video: http://www.khou.com/video/index.html?nvid=248456

Regards,

Jose D. Iraheta

By: Craig Jennings

Craig Jennings — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:53:20 +0000

IRS employees are way more efficient at collecting debt. National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson testified that the private debt collection program brings in $1.5 for every dollar spent. IRS employees bring in about $13 for every dollar spent.

Go to page 23 of her March 13 Congressional testimony (pg 25 in the PDF) for a much more detailed accounting – http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/110/olson.pdf

By: Phil Mattera

Phil Mattera — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:37:30 +0000

My understanding is that IRS employees are a lot more efficient than collection contractors. There’s always a tension between the harshness of methods and the effectiveness of collection. It appears the contractors are falling short on both counts–they are generating a lot of complaints about intrusive methods while failing to recover adequate amounts of revenue.

By: Rick Vaughn

Rick Vaughn — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 03:50:42 +0000

Phil,
My question to you is how do you compare what the collection agency brought in against what a goverment employee would bring in? “Abuse of taxpayers?” Obviously, they were not paying their taxes hence the need for collections.