Begin forwarded message:
From: Chris Hoofnagle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: March 22, 2006 11:39:21 AM EST
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [EPIC_IDOF] Tax Data for Sale?
At 08:07 AM 3/22/2006, Bruce Schneier wrote:
http://rss.slashdot.org/slashdot/eqWf?m=4398
"The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the IRS has proposed rule
changes
allowing tax-return preparers, like H&R Block, to sell an individual's
return information to marketers and data brokers. The proposed rule
[PDF],
which does contain some substantive protections for the processing of
electronic returns, was published in the Federal Register on
December 8,
2005. The official comment period has passed, but hearings will be
held this
month."
Well, kind of. Under the new rule, disclosure of tax return
information is broadened if the customer gives her affirmative
consent. If consent is given, the FULL RETURN can be given to other
entities for marketing purposes, and the tax preparer does not have
to even ensure that these other entities are legit or following the
preparer's privacy policy.
I'm basically telling people not to use storefront tax preparation at
all, because if they don't trick you into selling your data, they'll
use it themselves to market bogus refund anticipation loans.
Unfortunately, even the tax preparation software tries to market that
crap to you now.
C
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