ALERT: IRS wants to sell your tax return

[Tuesday_Morning]

Lookie what snuck in through the Federal Register

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002878871&zsection_id=2002107549&slug=irs21&date=20060321

PHILADELPHIA — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is quietly moving to loosen the once-inviolable privacy of federal income-tax returns. If it succeeds, accountants and other tax-return preparers, for the first time, will be able to sell information from individual returns — or even entire returns — to marketers and data brokers.

The possible change is raising alarm among consumer and privacy-rights advocates. It was included in a set of proposed rules that the Treasury Department and the IRS published in the Dec. 8 Federal Register, where the official notice labeled them "not a significant regulatory action."
<snip>

Criticism of the proposal also came from Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. In a letter last Tuesday to IRS Commissioner Mark Everson, Obama warned that once in the hands of third parties, tax information could be resold and handled under even looser rules than the IRS sets, increasing consumers' vulnerability to identity theft and other risks."There is no more sensitive information than a taxpayer's return, and the IRS's proposal to allow these returns to be sold to third-party marketers and database brokers is deeply troubling," Obama wrote.

Too bad the formal comment period for this ended March 8. But if you act now your comments "may receive consideration".

Dillon Taylor, Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration), Administrative Provisions and Judicial Practice Division.
Phone: [phone] or 202-622-4940
E-mail: [e-mail]

[mattclearing]

1. Props to Obama for picking up on this.

Nice one.

[MissB]

2. With your permission.

You have to sign on the dotted line that it is okay for the tax preparer to sell your info. Just watch what you sign.

[Nikki Stone 1]

4. The government should not be in the business of selling confidential

information, even with the citizen's approval. It is not the function of government to feed businesses with marketing leads but to protect the RIGHTS of the individual.

This creates a bad precedent for the role of government. Today it is voluntary; tomorrow it might not be.

[MissB]

5. Oh, I whole-heartedly agree.

[Nikki Stone 1]

8. Thanks. I think a lot of people feel this is wrong, but can't say why

nt

[helderheid]

3. Holy shit! K & R & UGH!

[CrispyQ]

6. Holy fuck!

Is there no safe place from the corporate predators? They want to know about & control every aspect of our lives.


:banghead:

[Tuesday_Morning]

7. And wouldn't you know...

from the link above:

"Officials at H&R Block and Jackson-Hewitt, two of the nation's largest tax-preparation firms, did not respond to requests for comment. "

[thecrow]

9. Kick to the Greatest Page

I cannot believe what America has come to..

[unblock]

10. misleading subject line. it's not the irs that would be selling.

it's private tax preparers and accountants who would be able to sell your tax info, and then only if you agree.

the irs itself would still not sell that info.

[Hubert Flottz]

11. The IRS has to do something for money>

None of the "Haves" and the "Have Mores" are paying taxes anymore!

I do my own taxes. When you're broke it's easy!

[highnooner]

12. "IRS Issues Proposed Regulations to Safeguard Taxpayer Information."

Classic Bushco Double-Speak.

[pacalo]

13. Somehow, I think many CEO's (think "Enron") will nip this in the bud.

After all, we now have a very corporate-friendly administration/congress who aim to keep them happy & protected.