WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released data showing that the Private Debt Collection (PDC) program, a public/private partnership that works to bolster the U.S. Treasury, strengthen the effectiveness of the IRS and ensure fairness in the federal tax system, continues to demonstrate that it can more than pay for itself with revenues returned to the Treasury.
“Letting those who shirk their tax responsibilities off the hook isn’t fair to law-abiding taxpayers who do pay their taxes. I’m glad this program is helping make the system fairer for those who fulfill their civic responsibility and follow the law,” Grassley said. “The IRS private debt collection program continues to prove its value. The most recent data again shows that revenue returned to the U.S. Treasury exceeds all associated program costs. That’s something we don’t often see here in Washington.”
For Fiscal Year 2018, the PDC program has brought in $51 million in revenue after costs. The program’s total revenue, taking start-up costs into account, is more than $22 million and its total amount provided to the IRS is more than $14.5 million. Those returns can now be used to hire and train additional compliance personnel, which would help increase efficiency and responsiveness to American taxpayers.
Grassley was instrumental in creating the IRS’ bipartisan Private Debt Collection Program as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee in 2004 as well as its reinstatement in 2015 after the IRS terminated it in 2009 following a flawed study.
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