Your tax return can reveal a lot of sensitive information about you, from your full name and address to your Social Security number. Because the IRS needs case-by-case details from you in order to calculate how much tax you owe, you expect the agency to handle these details with the utmost discretion. You could feel more assured about how the IRS manages these details by looking over what degree of protection is in place to keep them confidential. But how much do you actually know about the confidentiality of your tax information? In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about tax information privacy, and you should be aware of it.
What Is Tax Information Privacy?
Tax information privacy refers to the IRS keeping your tax information private and confidential. Under the Freedom of Information Act, all federal government agencies are required to keep your tax information private and confidential. So the agency takes utmost care to properly protect this information so that it doesn’t fall into untrustworthy hands.
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) likewise compels federal government agencies to guarantee the protection and confidentiality of your tax information. The law was established to ensure that consumers enjoyed a high level of protection when it came to matters related to credit and other financial matters. But FACTA likewise requires that federal government agencies be careful with how they handle and use your personal information.
How Can the IRS Protect Your Tax Information?
Given the serious nature of tax information privacy, the IRS regularly uses technology and other security measures to ensure the confidentiality of your tax return and other tax information.
To ensure the confidentiality of your tax information, the IRS also conforms to the following guidelines:
- Information is available for public examination only in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
- Information is disclosed only when authorized by law.
- Information is released to other government agencies only when required by the law.
- Information is released only when required by the law.
- Information is released only when authorized by law, rule, or regulation.
- Information is shared with courts, law enforcement agencies, and congressional committees only when authorized by law.
- Information is shared with other federal government agencies only when authorized by law, rule, or regulation.
- You can request in writing an accounting of disclosure of your tax return and any other tax information, with exceptions allowed by law.
- You have the right to request that the IRS not contact you.
- You have the right to file a complaint if you believe your tax information has been wrongfully disclosed.
Protecting Your Rights
Although the IRS protects your tax information, there are instances when it may need to disclose them. Once again, the Freedom of Information Act allows the IRS to disclose your tax information or return if it becomes aware that they are being subjected to fraud or other forms of abuse. But to protect your rights, you can simply tell the IRS that you don’t want your tax information disclosed if it doesn’t violate the Freedom of Information Act.
You may also want to request that the IRS not contact you for whatever reason. You can do this by writing a letter to the IRS office that handles your account. It is important to note that the IRS may still call you if it is necessary, such as if it needs to contact you to deliver a refund.
If you feel that your tax information is being wrongfully disclosed for any reason, you can simply file a complaint with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). This is an independent government agency that will help you resolve your tax information disclosure issues with the IRS.
Conclusion
Tax information privacy is a serious matter. Given the data that your tax return can reveal, it’s no wonder that the IRS takes measures to protect it. You can feel assured that the agency will ensure that your tax information is kept safe, secure, and private.
Axiom Tax Resolution Group is your trusted partner when it comes to sorting out your tax problems. We make it our mission to help our clients avoid having any issues with their taxes by offering tax relief solutions. When you work with us, you’ll never have to worry about being audited by the IRS. Contact us today to get started!
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