Governments of all sizes and locations are owed money. In the U.S. federal government, citizens and businesses typically owe taxes, fines and fees. Consumers can also owe on federally-backed student loans, while businesses can owe on development loans. Several branches of the U.S. government have robust ARM operations, including the IRS and the Department of Education. On the state and local level, debts to the government can be too many to enumerate. From court fines and fees to sales tax to late parking tickets. An overwhelming majority of U.S. states, and thousands of municipal governments, have used private debt collectors to help recover their debts.

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State Holds Hearing to Probe Surge in Debt Collection Complaints

8 December 2006

Possible Smoking Gun in DA vs. Collection Lawyer Case

8 December 2006

County Hands Fines Over to Collection Agency

8 December 2006

LexisNexis Launches Screening and Identity Verification Solutions for Government

8 December 2006

How Broad Coalition Stymied Wal-Mart's Bid to Own a Bank

8 December 2006

Facing Taxpayer Revolt, African City Authorities Call in Debt Collectors

8 December 2006

U.S. Charges 78 With Bankruptcy Fraud

8 December 2006

Japan's FSA Penalizes GE Consumer Finance for Debt Collection Practice

8 December 2006

FTC Hangs Up on Telemarketers' Pitch

8 December 2006

Indiana: Marion Superior Court Nets $1 Million Using Private Collection Agencies

8 December 2006

Japan Watchdog Probes GE Finance Unit on Debt Collection Practices

8 December 2006

County Looking to Hire Collection Agency

8 December 2006

Wal-Mart Presses FDIC to be Open to Industrial Bank

8 December 2006

Collection Agency Chases Parents Boycotting School Fees

8 December 2006

Electronic Clearing House Warns on Earnings after Anti-Online Gambling Legislation Passes

8 December 2006

Treasury Report Latest Confirmation of Need for Private IRS Debt Collection

8 December 2006

Retired Judge to Hear Hatch-Judge Complaint

8 December 2006

Publicizing Names of Delinquent Taxpayers Should Aid Collection

8 December 2006

Fed's Bies Cites Concern at U.S. Banks' Commercial Lending

8 December 2006

New Breed of Chinese Debt Collectors Shun Violence

8 December 2006