Hundreds of US tax officials caught snooping at records
Nosy US taxmen caught going through confidential records, looking at neighbours' or ex-spouses' details
Hundreds of US tax officials were caught looking through confidential
taxpayer records last year, despite repeated efforts to hit the snoopers with
the sack or suspension
Over 500 investigations were opened by the IRS against its officials for
snooping through records, with many checking up on ex-spouses or neighbours,
reported
The
Wall Street Journal.
The number of investigations rose from 448 a year earlier, despite
legislation enacted in the late 1990s to increase penalties for the nosy taxmen.
One snooper caught had sold information to identity thieves, a report by the
Treasury Inspector
General for Tax Administration found.
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