Report Finds Private Collectors Protecting Taxpayer Privacy

Charges that the private collectors serving the IRS could not adequately protect taxpayer privacy were shot down last week by a report from a U.S. Treasury Department auditor.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) gave a positive review to the privacy precautions exercised by firms participating in the IRS Private Debt Collection Program. The report refutes claims by NTEU, the union representing IRS employees, and National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson, an IRS employee.