HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 244 businesses on the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue's tax delinquent list owe the state more than $8 million, Revenue Secretary Stephen H. Stetler said today.

"These businesses collected taxes from their customers and employees but failed to send the money to the commonwealth," Stetler said. "I encourage taxpayers to visit the department's Web site -- www.revenue.state.pa.us -- to see the list of delinquent businesses."

Thirty-two new delinquent taxpayers were added to the list this month, including: Allegheny Answering Services, Pittsburgh ($117,120.38); Petz Unlimited Inc., Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County ($17,381.60); Urology Group Inc., Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County ($33,980.60); Edwin C. Hill dba Hills Auto Repair, Altoona, Blair County ($7,832.51); Energetics Mechanical Inc., Easton, Northampton County ($8,977.58); and EMS Management Systems Inc., Kingston, Luzerne County ($38,009.86).

The list includes businesses that owe sales and/or employer withholding taxes. Since the list debuted in April 2006, 509 of the 753 businesses, or 67.6 percent, that appeared on the list have been removed because they paid taxes in full, committed to deferred payment plans or went out of business.

Before being listed on the Web site, businesses and individuals are contacted by the department and given a final chance to make payment arrangements. The prospect of appearing on the list has helped convince delinquent taxpayers to pay $110.4 million and enter into deferred payment plans for an additional $12.4 million in previously unpaid taxes.

Many states have found that public identification of tax delinquents can be a successful tax collection incentive. At least 23 other states, including Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia, use Internet lists to help collect unpaid taxes.

Information on the Web site is public as a result of liens filed by the Revenue Department. Each lien is recorded in the county prothonotary's office where the person lives or does business. The amounts listed on the Web site represent the original liens. The current amount of tax due may differ from the amount listed on the site because of partial payments and/or the accrual of additional interest since the tax lien was filed.

Delinquent taxpayers who appear on the list should contact the Revenue Department at the phone number listed on the letter they received or call the nearest Revenue district office to make payment arrangements. The Web site is updated monthly and delinquent taxpayers who resolve their tax liabilities are removed from the site each month.

The complete tax delinquent list is available at www.revenue.state.pa.us, under the "Hot Topics" tab on the home page.

Media contact: Stephanie Weyant, 717-787-6960

Editor's Note: The 244 businesses on the Tax Delinquent List are from the following 44 counties (14 are out of state): Adams (1), Allegheny (25), Beaver (2), Berks (2), Blair (3), Bucks (13), Butler (1), Cambria (1), Carbon (1), Centre (2), Chester (6), Clearfield (3), Clinton (1) Cumberland (7), Dauphin (4), Delaware (10), Erie (3), Franklin (1), Indiana (1), Lackawanna (10), Lancaster (4), Lawrence (1), Lebanon (1), Lehigh (6), Luzerne (26), McKean (2), Mercer (1), Mifflin (1), Monroe (5), Montgomery (17), Northampton (4), Northumberland (1), Perry (1), Philadelphia (42), Pike (1), Potter (1), Schuylkill (3), Susquehanna (1), Union (1), Venango (1), Washington (4), Westmoreland (2), Wyoming (1) and York (6).

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Revenue

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http://www.state.pa.us