News
City Income Tax Collection Efforts Proving Successful
By: Atish Baidya
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The auditor for the City of Athens said efforts to collect unpaid city income taxes have already generated some positive results.
Kathy Hecht also reiterated the importance of the effort to collect unpaid city income tax by using a collection agency vetted by the Internal Revenue Service during Monday night's City Council meeting.
Auditor Kathy Hecht was asked by council member Michele Papai to publicly explain the reasoning behind the decision to contract Cleveland Central Collection Agency to contact potential taxpayers.
“I feel like it is my duty to collect all the taxes that are due to us,” Hecht said.
The collection agency is one of a handful of companies with access to confidential federal tax return information. In an earlier news release the city said the collection agency “has matched the Athens database against IRS records.”
Those identified by the agency as not having paid city income tax will or have been contacted with a letter.
“Not all businesses or companies or government entities withhold taxes on their employees,” Hecht said. “Unless they are within the city limits they aren’t required to.”