Amendments to Section 7216 Regulations- Disclosure or Use of Information by Preparers of Returns

Federal Register: December 16, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 242)

Rules and Regulations

Page 76216-76217

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr16de08-6

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Part 301

TD 9437

RIN 1545-BI00

Amendments to the Section 7216 Regulations--Disclosure or Use of

Information by Preparers of Returns

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Final and removal of temporary regulations.

SUMMARY: This document contains final regulations that provide rules relating to the disclosure and use of tax return information by tax return preparers. These regulations affect tax return preparers and provide updated guidance regarding the disclosure of a taxpayer's social security number to a tax return preparer located outside of the

United States.

DATES: Effective Date: These regulations are effective on December 16, 2008.

Applicability Date: See Sec. 301.7216-3(d), which states that the regulations apply to disclosures or uses of tax return information occurring on or after January 1, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Molly K. Donnelly, (202) 622-4940 (not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

This document amends 26 CFR part 301. On December 8, 2005, the

Treasury Department and the IRS published a notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-137243-02) in the Federal Register (70 FR 72954) proposing amendments to the regulations under section 7216 (regarding the use or disclosure of tax return information by income tax return preparers). On January 3, 2008, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued final regulations under section 7216 (TD 9375) applicable to disclosures or uses of tax return information occurring on or after

January 1, 2009. Thus, TD 9375 replaced previously issued final regulations that remain applicable to disclosures or uses of tax return information occurring prior to January 1, 2009.

TD 9375 included a revision of Sec. 301.7216-3(b)(4) which, for disclosures and uses of tax return information occurring on or after

January 1, 2009, provided that an income tax return preparer located in the United States may not disclose the taxpayer's social security number (SSN) to a tax return preparer located outside of the United

States even if the taxpayer consents to the disclosure.

On July 1, 2008, a temporary regulation (TD 9409) was published in the Federal Register (73 FR 37804) that created a limited exception to the rule prohibiting the disclosure of a taxpayer's SSN outside of the

United States. This temporary regulation modified the rules under Sec. 301.7216-3(b)(4). A notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-121698-08) cross-referencing the temporary regulations was published in the

Federal Register for the same day (73 FR 37910), requesting comments and setting a public hearing date.

Summary of Comments and Explanation of Revisions

The IRS and the Treasury Department requested written or electronic comments by September 30, 2008. Persons wishing to present oral comments at the public hearing scheduled for October 6, 2008, were to submit an outline of the topics to be discussed at the hearing by

September 15, 2008, and written or electronic comments by September 30, 2008. No written or electronic comments or requests to speak at the hearing, together with the required outline of topics, were submitted, and the hearing was cancelled (73 FR 56534).

The final regulations adopt the rules published in the proposed regulations without substantial change. The final regulations maintain the general rule in Sec. 301.7216-3(b)(4) providing that an income tax return preparer located in the United States may not disclose the taxpayer's SSN to a tax return preparer located outside of the United

States even if the taxpayer consents to the disclosure. The final regulations create a limited exception to the general rule providing that a tax return preparer located within the United States,

Page 76217

including any territory or possession of the United States, may obtain consent to disclose the taxpayer's SSN to a tax return preparer located outside of the United States or any territory or possession of the

United States only if the tax return preparer discloses the SSN through the use of an adequate protection safeguard as described in guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin and verifies the maintenance of the adequate data protection safeguards in the request for the taxpayer's consent pursuant to the specifications described in guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.

The rules adopted in the final regulations are substantially identical to those proposed in the notice of proposed rulemaking with the exception that Sec. 301.7216-3T(d), which set forth the effective date for the rules contained in the temporary regulations, was removed and not adopted in the final regulations because the identical effective date is currently set forth in Sec. 301.7216-3(d). In addition, minor and non-substantive edits were made to provide grammatical consistency and clarity throughout the regulations.

Additional guidance regarding the adequate data protection safeguard set forth in the regulations may be found in Revenue Procedure 2008-35, 2008-29 I.R.B. 132. See Sec. 601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b).

Special Analyses

It has been determined that this Treasury decision is not a significant regulatory action as defined in Executive Order 12866.

Therefore, a regulatory assessment is not required. It also has been determined that section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5

U.S.C. chapter 5) does not apply to these regulations, and because the regulations do not impose a collection of information on small entities, the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6) does not apply. Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Internal Revenue Code, the notice of proposed rulemaking preceding these regulations were submitted to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business

Administration for comment on their impact on small business.

Drafting Information

The principal author of these regulations is Molly K. Donnelly,

Office of the Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration).

List of Subjects in 26 CFR Part 301

Employment taxes, Estate taxes, Excise taxes, Gift taxes, Income taxes, Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Adoption of Amendments to the Regulations 0

Accordingly, 26 CFR part 301 is amended as follows:

PART 301--PROCEDURE AND ADMINISTRATION 0

Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 301 continues to read in part as follows:

Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * * 0

Par. 2. Section 301.7216-3 is amended by revising paragraph (b)(4) to read as follows:

Sec. 301.7216-3 Disclosure or use permitted only with the taxpayer's consent.

* * * * *

(b) * * *

(4) No consent to the disclosure of a taxpayer's social security number to a return preparer outside of the United States with respect to a taxpayer filing a return in the Form 1040 Series--(i) In general.

Except as provided in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section, a tax return preparer located within the United States, including any territory or possession of the United States, may not obtain consent to disclose the taxpayer's social security number (SSN) with respect to a taxpayer filing a return in the Form 1040 Series, for example, Form 1040, Form 1040NR, Form 1040A, or Form 1040EZ, to a tax return preparer located outside of the United States or any territory or possession of the United States. Thus, if a tax return preparer located within the

United States (including any territory or possession of the United

States) obtains consent from an individual taxpayer to disclose tax return information to another tax return preparer located outside of the United States, as provided under Sec. Sec. 301.7216-2(c) and 301.7216-2(d), the tax return preparer located in the United States may not disclose the taxpayer's SSN, and the tax return preparer must redact or otherwise mask the taxpayer's SSN before the tax return information is disclosed outside of the United States. If a tax return preparer located within the United States initially receives or obtains a taxpayer's SSN from another tax return preparer located outside of the United States, however, the tax return preparer within the United

States may, without consent, retransmit the taxpayer's SSN to the tax return preparer located outside the United States that initially provided the SSN to the tax return preparer located within the United

States. For purposes of this section, a tax return preparer located outside of the United States does not include a tax return preparer who is continuously and regularly employed in the United States or any territory or possession of the United States and who is in a temporary travel status outside of the United States.

(ii) Exception. A tax return preparer located within the United

States, including any territory or possession of the United States, may obtain consent to disclose the taxpayer's SSN to a tax return preparer located outside of the United States or any territory or possession of the United States only if the tax return preparer within the United

States discloses the SSN to a tax return preparer outside of the United

States through the use of an adequate data protection safeguard as defined by the Secretary in guidance published in the Internal Revenue

Bulletin (see Sec. 601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b) of this chapter) and verifies the maintenance of the adequate data protection safeguards in the request for the taxpayer's consent pursuant to the specifications described by the Secretary in guidance published in the Internal

Revenue Bulletin.

* * * * *

Sec. 301.7216-3T [Removed] 0

Par. 3. Section 301.7216-3T is removed.

Linda E. Stiff,

Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement.

Approved: December 10, 2008.

Eric Solomon,

Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Tax Policy).

FR Doc. E8-29770 Filed 12-15-08; 8:45 am

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