US tax agency broke privacy law ‘approximately 42,695 times’, judge says

Al JazeeraEN 4 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffFebruary 27, 2026 at 01:55 AM

AI Summary

medium article 4 min

In 2026, a US federal judge ruled that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) illegally disclosed confidential taxpayer information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "approximately 42,695 times." The ruling stated that the IRS violated IRS Code 6103, which protects the privacy of taxpayer data, by sharing last known addresses. The decision was based on a declaration by an IRS officer revealing that the agency provided the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information on 47,000 individuals out of 1.28 million requested by ICE, often violating privacy rules. The case originated from efforts during the Trump administration to consolidate government data. While the government is appealing the decision, the judge highlighted the IRS officer's declaration as significant support for the ruling.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Dottie Romo ×350% Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 60% Donald Trump ×270% Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ×370% United States ×280% Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ×690% Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ×8100%

Keywords

irs 100% ice 90% taxpayer data 90% privacy law 80% confidential information 80% data disclosure 70% internal revenue code 70% tax return information 60% data breach 60% donald trump 50%