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B-212130 1 (1984-08-20)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadlvx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 


                          TmE COMPTROLLER S mNENAL
  ONECIION                OP THE UNITED TATES
                          WASHIN0TON, 0.0. 20546



  PILE: B-212130                DATE: August 20, 1984

  MATTER OF: Army Request for Advance Decision


  DIQEST:

     Where the unpaid balance due under a govern-
     ment contract is claimed by the contractor's
     bank as assignee, the payment bond surety,
     and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pay-
     ment should be made to the IRS because the
     surety's claim is superior to that of the
     bank and the government may set off its
     claim for taxes owed by the contractor
     against an amount that otherwise would be
     due the surety.

     The Finance and Accounting Officer at Fort Devens,
Massachusetts, requests an advance decision as to whom
the final payment under contract No. DAKF31-80-D-0244
should be made. For the reasons stated below, we
conclude that the funds should be paid to the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS).

     On September 30, 1980, the Army awarded a fixed-
price contract to Diamond Construction, Inc. to install
insulation and siding and to paint windows on 38 build-
ings at Fort Devens. As required under the Miller Act,
40 U.S.C. SS 270a-270d (1982), Diamond executed payment
and performance bonds on which the Aetna Casualty and
Surety Company agreed to act as surety. Also on Septem-
ber 30, Diamond assigned all payments that would become
due under the contract to the Pelham Bank and Trust
Company. The bank notified the contracting officer of
the assignment, as the Assignment of Claims Act, 31
U.S.C. S 3727 (1982), requires; the record does not show
that the bank complied with the Act's requirement that
it also give notice to the surety and to the disbursing
officer. After an increase in the contract price for
additional work, and a decrease for work that the con-
tractor did not complete, the total due under the






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