There's the version of tax resolution the late-night commercials sell you. Then there's how it actually works. I'm Darrin Mish, a Tampa tax attorney. I've spent 32 years on the inside of these cases. Here's the real version.
An audit performed by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) found that the IRS only protected taxpayer information (sensitive data) only 7% of the time.
That’s a critically low number considering how data theft is one of America’s pressing concerns. The Office of Management and Budget even mandated, as far back as 2009, the IRS to stop using Social Security Numbers. Currently, the IRS has made limited progress in their efforts.
Identity theft is a major complaint forwarded to the Federal Trade Commission receives. Identity fraud by mail is at the top of the list.
The audit performed by TIGTA was done to make sure that the IRS was doing its job in keeping consumer information safe. So, you might say there’s a lot of work left for the IRS to accomplish in helping make sure that consumer Social Security numbers are safe.
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