New York Times, Drawing Fire, Deal Gives Agency Staff Power to See State Workers’ Tax Files:
Lawmakers and labor unions on Monday pointedly criticized a secret decision by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration to greatly expand the state inspector general’s access to tax returns filed by state employees.
The State Department of Taxation and Finance signed an agreement last month with the inspector general’s office to allow dozens of people to look at the records, as part of investigations, without needing approval from the tax department or a court.
While only a small number of investigators had previously been able to see the tax filings, the agreement, which was made public on Monday, extended clearance to 63 employees of the inspector general’s office, including several low-level aides and its press spokesman. …
In a telephone interview, Joshua D. Blank, a professor at New York University School of Law who specializes in taxpayer privacy, said “sharing of tax return information between government agencies is not unusual.” “The interesting aspect of the memo is the chronology does shift a bit, and the I.G. employees are able to identify possible instances of abuse and then inform the tax authority,” Professor Blank said. “The idea is to treat the inspector general’s employees as though they are tax auditors."
- Albany Times-Union, Tax Chief Deputizes IG Staff to Permit Use of Returns
- Wall Street Journal, NY Legislators Cite Tax-Records Privacy Concerns
