BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SAID, IN THIS WORLD, NOTHING IS CERTAIN BUT DEATH AND TAXES.

THE ABC-7 I-TEAM DISCOVERED THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE IF YOU WORK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

I-TEAM REPORTER ANDREA MCCARREN IS HERE TO EXPLAIN.

McCarren on set:

IRONICALLY, WE FOUND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF WORKERS WHO HAVE NOT PAID THEIR PERSONAL INCOME TAXES TO THEIR OWN EMPLOYER-THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THE AGENCIES WHO EMPLOY THE WORST OFFENDERS AND THE AMOUNT THEY OWE MAY SURPRISE YOU.

Story:

OUR NATION'S CAPITOL, A SYMBOL OF DEMOCRACY, WHERE LAWS ARE MADE AND SOMETIMES, BROKEN.

THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, THE I-TEAM OBTAINED DOCUMENTS FROM THE IRS REVEALING THAT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES OWE THE GOVERNMENT MORE THAN TWO BILLION DOLLARS.

ACCORDING TO IRS RECORDS, 419 WORKERS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OWE THE GOVERNMENT 5.8 MILLION DOLLARS IN BACK TAXES.

228 EMPLOYEES OF THE SENATE HAVE A DEBT OF NEARLY 2 MILLION.

Tourist from Louisville: "I pay my taxes. They ought to pay theirs."

THE IRS WON'T REVEAL WHETHER ANY OF THE VIOLATORS ARE ACTUALLY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

EVEN THE WHITE HOUSE EMPLOYS TAX DELINQUENTS. 46 OF ITS WORKERS OWE NEARLY 600,000 DOLLARS.

WE SHOWED THE FIGURES TO SOME FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.

Federal Employee: "That's crazy! How can we owe the government money?"

WE EVEN CAUGHT UP WITH AN EMPLOYEE OF THE IRS.

IRS Employee: "We gotta get busy, I suppose."

AT SOME FEDERAL AGENCIES, TAX COMPLIANCE IS A SENSITIVE ISSUE.

AN INTERNAL MEMO OBTAINED BY THE I-TEAM REVEALS HOW ONE GOVERNMENT AGENCY URGED ITS WORK FORCE TO PAY UP. IT NOTES THAT "THE IRS FEELS PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT WILL SUFFER" IF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DO NOT MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF COMPLIANCE.

Pete Sepp, National Taxpayers Union: "If they can't figure out where their own employees are and where to go to get these taxes back, the rest of America is in a lot of trouble."

AMONG THE WORST OFFENDERS: 9,709 EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OWE 71-MILLION DOLLARS.

THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MAY BE KEEPING US SAFE, BUT 5, 982 OF ITS EMPLOYEES OWE MORE THAN 40-MILLION DOLLARS.

Taxpayer from Reno: "Horrible! Horrible! . . They better get busy and do something about it."

THE AGENCY WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF TAX DELINQUENTS: THE US POSTAL SERVICE. 32,000 OF ITS EMPLOYEES OWE MORE THAN 200-MILLION DOLLARS.

McCarren on set:

THE IRS EVEN TRACKS RETIRED EMPLOYEES. RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY OWE THE GOVERNMENT A STAGGERING 867-MILLION DOLLARS.

AND WHAT ABOUT IRS WORKERS? THEIR NUMBERS ARE WRAPPED INTO THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WHOSE EMPLOYEES OWE NEARLY 8-MILLION DOLLARS.

While that does bug me, I am way more pissed about the law allowing Congress to vote itself a pay raise whenever it feels like it. God I wish I had that kind of policy in place where I work.

I don't think you should be allowed to vote Congress a pay raise either.

Actually it's worse than that. The pay raise happens automatically every year, they have to vote not to take it. Politics is a racket.

And to think that back when america was still fighting England, people worked many hours for free making the laws for the new country.

politicians you make me sick.

but still why write it all in capital.

Jaz,

Do you realise that writing everything in CAPS marks you out to a lot of people as a bit of a loony. Perhaps you're not, but difficult to tell.

And I'm quite happy to pay my taxes - look around the world at countries without a high spending central government is see if you want to live there!

I don't feel bad about paying taxes, as they are necessary. I just have problems with how it is spent. And I have voted in every local,state, and federal election since I hit eighteen (a loooong time ago).

the part about the military makes no sense. my dad was in the miliatry.....they dont have to pay any federal income taxes. it's part of their benefits. so how could they owe anything?