The United States government, by its own admission, has IRS tax data that could be helpful in tracking down thousands of missing children. The information is not forthcoming because taxpayer privacy laws severely restrict the release of information from tax returns.
An I.R.S. spokeperson said:
“We will do whatever we can within the confines of the law to make it easier for law enforcement to find abducted children”
The privacy laws were enacted to prevent Watergate-style abuses of confidential taxpayer information.
There are specific exceptions allowing the I.R.S. to turn over information in child support cases and to help federal agencies determine whether an applicant qualifies for income-based federal benefits. However, because of guidelines in the handling of criminal cases, there are several obstacles for parents and investigators pursuing a child abductor — even when the taxpayer in question is a fugitive and the subject of a felony warrant.
It seems wrong that some federal laws seemed more concerned with the privacy of a fugitive than the safety of children.
“When your kids are taken from you, the hardest part is at night, thinking about them going to sleep. You wonder who’s tucking them in, who will hug them if they have a bad dream or taking them to the bathroom if they wake up. And you ask yourself whether you’ve done everything possible to find them.”
For the full story see NY Times
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