​According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), "the failure-to-file penalty applies if you don't file your tax return by the due date (including extensions)." It is with utmost importance that NIH staff are ensuring that their federal and state taxes have been filed and paid, or that a payment plan has been set up. Not filing or paying federal or state taxes may negatively impact an individual's suitability or fitness for federal employment. This includes possible removal from current positions for failure to file and/or pay federal and state taxes. This is especially important as the Division of Personnel Security (DPS) continues to conduct investigations as part of Trusted Workforce (TW) 2.0 Continuous Vetting (CV). For more information on TW 2.0 CV, please review this article, “Trusted Workforce (TW) Continuous Vetting (CV) and FBI Next Generation Identification (NGI) Rap Back Service," published last year.

Credit Checks for All Staff

Additionally, as part of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) background investigation, credit checks will be run on all staff in all Position Designation Tier levels, including Tier 1 Non-Sensitive, Low Risk positions. Per FIN 19-01 (published in October 2018), there is no need to unfreeze your credit for the background investigation check.​