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GUEST: Emily Rusch, San Francisco CALPIRG

As the April 15th deadline to file taxes draws nearer, a new IRS proposal is being debated. The proposal would allow for tax preparers to share tax return information with an unaffiliated third party; provided a consumer signs a consent form. Privacy and consumer advocacy groups are critical of the proposal and believe that if implemented, it would lead to an increase in Identity theft cases. The IRS is holding a public hearing in Washington D.C. today regarding this proposal. During the hearings, advocacy groups such as CALPIRG plan to urge the IRS to drop the proposal and will argue for better consumer privacy protections.

For more information, visit www.calpirg.org.