How do they get away with this?

[janswizard]

You can bet that if you or I owed money to the government, they would be breathing down our necks.

Jun 20, 9:07 PM

Nelson: NASA suppliers owe $3B in taxes

BY J.D. GALLOP
FLORIDA TODAY

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is expected to call for an investigation today into what he called "deadbeat" NASA contractors that get high-dollar government work despite failing to pay all federal taxes.

The Florida Democrat reviewed a study by the U.S. General Accounting Office that found at least 27,000 defense and aerospace contractors owe back taxes totaling more than $3 billion.

"I'm asking to the federal government to crack down because NASA is going to expand with even more private contracting in the future," Nelson said Sunday. "And if NASA is going to more private contractors, they need to be paying those who pay their federal taxes."

A Kennedy Space Center spokesman referred comment on the issue to NASA headquarters, where no one could be reached Sunday. The names of companies behind in taxes was not released Sunday.

Nelson, a longtime advocate of the space program, spoke last week with the head of the GAO about the report.

NASA contractors receive about 85 percent of the agency's funds each year, Nelson said. The request, according to the senator's office, also is prompted by a recent recommendation by a presidential commission that private companies take on a greater share of the space agency's work.


Nelson, however, said the comptroller general confirmed several NASA contractors were on the list.

"They're getting government money on one hand and not paying federal taxes with the other hand," he said.

Contact Gallop at 242-3668 or jdgallop@flatoday.net

[Stephanie]

It is amazing isn't it?