IRS Updates Privacy Act to Shield Taxpayer Data Better
Published Date: 2/23/2026
Notice
Summary
The IRS is updating its Privacy Act matching program to better protect your personal info from data loss. This affects anyone whose data the IRS handles, with the new program running from March 24, 2026, to September 23, 2027. Public comments are open for 30 days, and the program helps keep your info safe without costing you a dime.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Monitoring of IRS Staff and Contractors
If you are an IRS employee, contractor, or another person granted access to IRS systems, the program will match and analyze records (including employee name, SSN, email addresses, IP address, and machine name) to detect insecure or unencrypted electronic communications. Those with access are limited to a need-to-know and are subject to criminal and civil penalties for unauthorized inspection or disclosure during the program running March 24, 2026 through September 23, 2027.
IRS Data-Loss Protection for Tax Records
The IRS will run a Data Loss Prevention computer matching program from March 24, 2026 through September 23, 2027 to detect and deter breaches of security that could expose taxpayer data. The matches may use data elements like names, Social Security Numbers (SSNs), Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs), tax return information, IP addresses, and other identifiers to help protect your information, and the notice says this protection will not cost you anything.
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