Feds owe $1B in back taxes

Federal employees from across the government owe more than $1.03 billion in delinquent taxes for fiscal 2010, according to Internal Revenue Service reports.

The Defense Department had the largest outstanding bill of $261.1 million owed by 30,200 civilian employees, reports the Washington Post Federal Eye blog. The rest of the 98,000 feds with unpaid taxes come from across the government, including the postal service, congressional staff, the executive office, military personnel and a few U.S. Tax Court employees.

Outstanding taxes could soon cost federal employees their jobs. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) have both introduced legislation -- H.R.828 and S. 376, respectively -- to make individuals who are purposefully delinquent on taxes "ineligible" for continued federal employment.