Identification

• According to the IRS, the agency is permitted, or required in some circumstances, to release information it has accumulated on taxpayers to others. Examples cited by the IRS include providing information to the U.S. Department of Treasury or congressional committees.
  
  

Function

• Data published by the (Congressional) Joint Committee on Taxation shows that each year the largest number of disclosures involves the information the IRS releases to the taxing agencies of each appropriate state government. Each taxpayer's federal return information is provided to the taxpayer's state of residence.
  
  

Considerations

• United States Code, title 26, section 6103 states that any agency or individual to whom the IRS releases information must abide by strict privacy standards after obtaining confidential tax return information. The code stipulates that any and all information on a return is subject to these standards.