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PAY THE PIPER Top tax delinquents in Oregon include four from Jackson County Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 1, 2016 at 5:05 PM Updated Mar 1, 2016 at 5:19 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 1, 2016 at 5:05 PM Updated Mar 1, 2016 at 5:19 PM » Social News The top tax delinquents in Oregon — including four from Jackson County who together owe more than $2 million — are being outed by the state Department of Revenue in hopes of getting them to pay their debts. In a pilot project, the Department of Revenue released the names this week of the top 50 delinquent individuals who have failed to pay personal taxes totaling more than $34 million. “We would sure like to get those collected and get people off the list,” said Bob Estabrook, spokesman for the Department of Revenue. In Jackson County, the largest amount owed is $652,388 by Rickey J. Matthews of Eagle Point. Among the 50 top delinquent taxpayers, Matthews ranked 15th. Gary T. Whittle, a Medford resident, is the second-highest local tax delinquent, owing $557,081. Whittle is 17th on the list. Jeffrey L. Chamberlain of Medford owes $457,081.87, and Kenneth L. Anderson of Central Point owes $404,634, according to the state. They are ranked 29th and 33rd respectively on the state’s ranking list. Randall D. Jeffers of Woodburn is number one on the state’s list, owing nearly $3.9 million. The list includes those who owe personal taxes and have not responded to multiple inquiries from the Department of Revenue. In addition, the Department of Revenue says it has used collection agencies to collect the debt without any success. Other than the basic information provided on the list, Estabrook said his department wouldn’t release any additional information about the delinquent taxpayers. In some cases, years may have passed since the Department of Revenue has heard from these people, Estabrook said. “This is not somebody who missed taxes for one tax period,” Estabrook said. “These are folks who have debts going on for a period of time.” The debt also includes penalties because of failure to pay after receiving notice from the state. The Department of Revenue has various tools at its disposal to collect back taxes, including garnishing wages or attaching bank accounts. Estabrook said it is unlikely that anyone will face criminal charges related to tax evasion, because that is a high legal bar to prove. “We do not send people to jail for not paying their taxes,” he said. Estabrook said his department would like to hear from delinquent taxpayers even if they don’t have the financial means to repay the debt. He said some may have lost considerable amounts of wealth during the recession, while others may be on Social Security, have severe health issues or have faced a death in the family. Other states have also posted lists of delinquent taxpayers. Estabrook said his department wants to gauge whether posting the list this year encourages some to work toward paying off their debt so they can get their names off the list. If the taxes are paid in full or payment arrangements are made, the Department of Revenue will remove a person’s name from the list within 10 days. The Department of Revenue also released a list of 50 companies that have failed to pay almost $9 million in payroll taxes; none of the companies were from the Rogue Valley. Courtesy Staffing at Boardman topped the list, owing more than $500,000. Despite the large dollar amounts owed by the delinquent taxpayers, Estabrook said, a majority of taxpayers in Oregon pay on time or make arrangements to pay down their debt. In releasing the names, the Department of Revenue indicated it didn’t release information about people who have filed for bankruptcy protection, have appealed their debt claim, have a warrant for a debt that isn’t recorded in a county or where collection actions have been suspended. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 1, 2016 at 5:05 PM Updated Mar 1, 2016 at 5:19 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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