Philly Launches Effort To Collect Back Taxes From 25,000 Businesses
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The city of Philadelphia is launching an effort to collect back taxes from some 25,000 businesses. It's a long-term effort for a long-term problem.
Center city developer Allen Domb ran for city council on a platform of improving delinquent tax collections and he is bullish on this effort to collect old, unpaid business taxes.
"This is a real clear message to people who owe money to the city: It's time to pay up!"
The effort is a multi-part process, first to assess the likelihood of collecting what's owed, given that some debts go back decades and the businesses may no longer exist, and then how best to collect them.
Mayor Jim Kenney estimates $70 million is owed-- before interest and penalties-- money that would be used to pay down the pension debt.
"I had a conversation with councilman Domb the other day in my office and said, that would be a legacy he could hang his hat on forever," Kenney said.