An investigation into New Jersey’s largest teachers union finds that the Internal Revenue Service has an outstanding lien against the New Jersey Education Association for $56,730.31 in back taxes.
The lien involves unpaid taxes from as far back as 2005, though most of the teacher union’s unpaid taxes are from 2009 and 2010.
The federal tax lien was issued against the NJEA on December 7, 2010, and has been on file with the Passaic County Clerk’s office since December 21, 2010.
The investigation was conducted by Education Action Group with the assistance of Mark Kalinowski, founder of North New Jersey Tea Party Group which is based in Passaic County.
The NJEA recently settled two other IRS tax liens totaling $16,581. One of those tax liens involved $13,885.76 in unpaid taxes, going back to 2005 and 2006. That lien was released by the Passaic County Clerk’s office on January 6, 2011.
The other lien, totaling $2,696, was filed on October 13, 2010 and was released by the Union County Clerk’s office on May 3, 2011.
All told, the NJEA has been dragged its feet in paying $73,311 in federal taxes, even as union leaders never misses an opportunity to call for higher taxes on their fellow citizens. 
The NJEA recently aired a TV ad excoriating Gov. Chris Christie for giving “a tax break to millionaires” while cutting school funding.
The teachers union also opposed efforts to limit annual property tax increases to 2.9 percent.
But this investigation has revealed the NJEA’s hypocrisy on taxation.
For years, the NJEA has championed higher taxes for most New Jersey residents. And for years, the NJEA hasn’t paid some of its obligations.
The NJEA has a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach to paying taxes. That’s something for New Jersey taxpayers to keep in mind the next time they hear the NJEA call for a tax hike.
The NJEA doesn’t miss an opportunity to lecture taxpayers about the need to pay more, but has the gall to carry tax liens?
The hypocritical union has no place demanding taxpayers cough up more when it doesn’t even have its own financial house in order.
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