Tax day has come and gone, but you might be surprised to know that your tax information could soon be sold!
The IRS wants to allow tax preparers to sell your personal information to data brokers. But, state Representative Don Friske (R-Merrill) says, not without your consent.
Tim Gary is a Research Assistant in Friske's office. "Representative Friske would like to have the law changed so that if someone is preparing your taxes for you, that before they share your personal information from your taxes with other businesses for other products to be served to you, that they get your consent first."
Jim Rabbitt with Department of Consumer Protection likes the intent of this new legislation. "The bill is really about ownership. Who owns my data? When I hire someone to do my taxes that's all I'm hiring them to do unless I tell them I want them to do something else. And I think that's what the citizens of the state of Wisconsin tell us that they expect. And they're kind of shocked when they find out that's not the case."
But Rabbitt says the bill could be better. He says although the bill requires the tax preparer to ask the client whether it's OK to sell their information, it doesn't specify what information, to whom it would be sold, for what purpose and for how long. Also, Rabbitt says, the measure must require the tax preparer to give the consumer a copy of the signed consent document.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:25 MP3)
