The Vermont Department of Taxes will publish lists of the 100 individual taxpayers and 100 business taxpayers with the highest amounts of unpaid tax debt on Jan. 12, 2015. Advance publicity and contacts regarding the lists have already garnered nearly $732,000 for the state. The public may view the lists by accessing a link titled “Top 100 Delinquent Vermont Taxpayers” on the homepage of its website at www.tax.vermont.gov.
In June 2014, the Vermont General Assembly enacted a new law, Act 174, granting Vermont’s commissioner of taxes the ability to compile and publish these lists as a way to obtain compliance from taxpayers. Vermont joins more than 28 states that publish lists of delinquent taxpayers and report that the lists have proven to be an effective compliance tool.
Prior to finalizing the lists of delinquent taxpayers, the Department mailed letters to individuals and businesses identified as having the high levels of unresolved tax debt that could potentially make them eligible for the lists.The letters offered the taxpayer the opportunity to pay the debt in full or enter into an installment payment agreement with the Department.
"Publishing the lists of delinquent taxpayers already is proving to be a useful tool to encourage people to pay the taxes they owe as our law requires,” said Tax Commissioner Mary Peterson. “Not only are some of these taxpayers paying their outstanding debt, but we also are seeing people who are delinquent in filing tax returns finally submit their returns from past years and correct their accounts with the Department.” To date, the Department has received nearly $732,000 in payments from 131 individuals and businesses, including debt that was paid in full and payments that were part of payment agreements. Of the taxpayers who took the offer, about 18 percent have entered into payment plans and should continue to make payments until their debts are paid in full to avoid placement on the delinquency lists.
The lists will include the names and town of residence of delinquent taxpayers. Taxpayers named on the lists either have accepted the department’s assessments of taxes owed or have already exhausted all appeals and remedies available under Vermont law.
For more information about the delinquency lists and taxpayer notification, contact the Compliance Division of the Vermont Department of Taxes at (866) 437-2750 (toll-free).
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