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Additional Security Processes Are Needed to Prevent Unauthorized Release of Tax Information Through the Income Verification Express Service Program

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
2021-45-017
Report Type
Audit
Special Emphasis
Taxpayer First Act (TFA)
Joint Report
Yes
Participating OIG
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
Agency Wide
Yes (agency-wide)
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
View Report

Recommendations

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should allocate sufficient resources to the IVES Program to perform suitability checks that are consistent with other IRS programs at the time of enrollment and implement a continuous tax compliance check to ensure that they remain suitable for the program.

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should perform suitability assessment checks on the 319 IVES Participants that did not undergo suitability checks prior to acceptance and are still active in the IVES Program.

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that the IAT tool programming is corrected to identify all IDT markers on taxpayers' accounts to alert the IVES Program employee to reject the transcript request.

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure develop processes and procedures to ensure that clerks are rejecting transcript requests for accounts identified with an IDT marker.

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that IVES Program internal guidelines are updated in the Internal Revenue Manual to include key processes and procedures.