IRS is collecting taxpayer information from Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.
Washington, DC - The IRS will be collecting a lot more than just taxes this year.
According to several reports, the agency will also be collecting personal information from sites like Facebook and Twitter.
It says the effort is to catch people trying to beat the system, but some say it goes too far.
Attorney Kristen Mathews warns to be careful with what you say on social media platforms.
She has concerns the government is pushing the limits of what has historically been considered private.
"There are laws that regulate the government's ability to get a hold of things like credit card transaction history. But those laws have become more permissive in the last several years, particularly after 9-11, and so some might say those laws are no longer in line with the average expectation of privacy," says Mathews.
The IRS spokesperson told FBN that “respecting taxpayer rights forms a central part of all of our enforcement efforts, and that includes instances where we monitor publicly available information to assist with already existing compliance work.”
Taxpayers should also be aware of what others are posting about them on social media, Levin says.
“Things that are being posted may come back to haunt you on your tax returns.”
Adam Levin, chairman of Identity Theft 911, says our culture is one that compulsively over-shares, so it’s no surprise the IRS would take to social media to look for clues as to what taxpayers may be up to.
“When you over share things, you run the risk that government agencies will take it the wrong way—or maybe the right way [if the audit is justified].”
The government has said it would only check a Facebook page or twitter account if there is already red flag in a tax form.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/21905788/irs-collecting-tax-payer-information-from-facebook-and-twitter
http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/04/09/is-irs-stalking-on-social-media/