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Unfortunately you have no way to protect your tax returns from Equifax, which now has a contract with the IRS thanks to the infinite wisdom of our government.

Unfortunately you have no way to protect your tax returns from Equifax, which now has a contract with the IRS thanks to the infinite wisdom of our government. http://fortune.com/2017/10/04/equifax-irs-contract-hackers/ http://fortune.com/2017/10/04/equifax-irs-contract-hackers/

geofft 9y ago
This contract is a renewal of a previous contract with Equifax (which is why it was a "critical service that couldn't lapse"), and it involves Equifax giving data to the IRS, not the IRS giving your tax returns to Equifax.
- StanislavPetrov 9y ago
  The IRS is most certainly giving Equifax data or they wouldn't have sent inspectors there to verify the integrity of IRS data. >Chief information officer Girza said the IRS sent inspectors to make sure no IRS data was compromised in the Equifax breach http://www.snopes.com/2017/10/05/equifax-contract-irs/ http://www.snopes.com/2017/10/05/equifax-contract-irs/
  - geofft 9y ago
    That is nowhere close to evidence that Equifax had tax returns.
- bloaf 9y ago
  So I wonder what would happen if the IRS attempted to Eminent Domain-ify the data they needed.
- jlarocco 9y ago
  Meanwhile, thanks to Equifax's amazing security, everybody else can get the same data for free ;-)
bogomipz 9y ago
From your link: >"The Internal Revenue Service signed a $7.25 million contract with Equifax last month. The no-bid contract, first reported by Politico, is for Equifax to provide the IRS with taxpayer and personal identity verification services. The contract stated that Equifax (EFX, -1.34%) was the only company capable of providing these services to the IRS, and it was deemed a “critical” service that couldn’t lapse." The IRS in the US needs Equifax to provide tax payer and verification services? Seriously what does that even mean? The IRS bas no other way to verify citizens?
- trhway 9y ago
  I'd guess it is just outsourcing of a government function, you know as a way to save taxpayers money and increase government efficiency ... like those private prisons, private torturers, private plutonium processors, etc.
- bald 9y ago
  AFAIK in the US, you're not required to check in with local authorities when you move to a new city (contrary to many European countries where you need to notify them, else you'll be fined), so there's no official register the IRS could use to find all taxpayers... maybe that's the background.
  - bogomipz 9y ago
    The IRS can use the previous year's filing address for all tax payers. They should be able to use the US Post Office to get address updates. In the US people generally file a change of address when they move in order to automatically receive mail at their new address. The fact that the IRS granted Equifax a 7 million dollar contract amounts to the US tax payer paying Equifax to put their identity at risk and cause them harm. It really boggles the mind.
    - kevin_thibedeau 9y ago
      USPS address forwarding is only good for six months.

geofft 9y ago

This contract is a renewal of a previous contract with Equifax (which is why it was a "critical service that couldn't lapse"), and it involves Equifax giving data to the IRS, not the IRS giving your tax returns to Equifax.

StanislavPetrov 9y ago
The IRS is most certainly giving Equifax data or they wouldn't have sent inspectors there to verify the integrity of IRS data. >Chief information officer Girza said the IRS sent inspectors to make sure no IRS data was compromised in the Equifax breach http://www.snopes.com/2017/10/05/equifax-contract-irs/ http://www.snopes.com/2017/10/05/equifax-contract-irs/
- geofft 9y ago
  That is nowhere close to evidence that Equifax had tax returns.
bloaf 9y ago
So I wonder what would happen if the IRS attempted to Eminent Domain-ify the data they needed.
jlarocco 9y ago
Meanwhile, thanks to Equifax's amazing security, everybody else can get the same data for free ;-)

bogomipz 9y ago

From your link: >"The Internal Revenue Service signed a $7.25 million contract with Equifax last month. The no-bid contract, first reported by Politico, is for Equifax to provide the IRS with taxpayer and personal identity verification services. The contract stated that Equifax (EFX, -1.34%) was the only company capable of providing these services to the IRS, and it was deemed a “critical” service that couldn’t lapse." The IRS in the US needs Equifax to provide tax payer and verification services? Seriously what does that even mean? The IRS bas no other way to verify citizens?

trhway 9y ago
I'd guess it is just outsourcing of a government function, you know as a way to save taxpayers money and increase government efficiency ... like those private prisons, private torturers, private plutonium processors, etc.
bald 9y ago
AFAIK in the US, you're not required to check in with local authorities when you move to a new city (contrary to many European countries where you need to notify them, else you'll be fined), so there's no official register the IRS could use to find all taxpayers... maybe that's the background.
- bogomipz 9y ago
  The IRS can use the previous year's filing address for all tax payers. They should be able to use the US Post Office to get address updates. In the US people generally file a change of address when they move in order to automatically receive mail at their new address. The fact that the IRS granted Equifax a 7 million dollar contract amounts to the US tax payer paying Equifax to put their identity at risk and cause them harm. It really boggles the mind.
  - kevin_thibedeau 9y ago
    USPS address forwarding is only good for six months.