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IRS Privacy Policy

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IRS Office of Privacy
IRS Privacy Policy
Your Privacy Rights
Access to Privacy Impact Assessments
Statistical Information

Security
If You Send Us Information On-Line
Customer Surveys
Cookies
Links to Other Sites


PLEASE NOTE:  Do not respond to unsolicited e-mails that claim to come from the IRS, or any e-mail from an unknown party asking you to submit personal, tax, or financial data. The Internal Revenue Service does not use e-mail to request this type of information. Forward suspicious e-mails to: phishing@irs.gov.

For more information contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 800-366-4484 or go to www.treas.gov/tigta.

IRS Office of Privacy

The Internal Revenue Service's Privacy Office ensures that your personal information is protected whenever you visit the IRS Web site. If you have any questions or comments regarding the IRS's website privacy policy, please contact us at the address below.

Director, Office of Privacy, Information Protection & Data Security
Internal Revenue Service
Room 7050 OS:P
1111 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20224

BEFORE YOU WRITE, note that we cannot assist you with any type of tax matter. Our office may only address questions about IRS privacy policies or concerns you may have regarding how IRS uses and collects personal information.


IRS Privacy Policy

You have entered the Internal Revenue Service's website, an official United States Government System. The IRS uses this website to provide information about IRS services and programs. This Web site includes specific applications which provide more services or enable us to respond to specific questions from Web site visitors.

We will not collect personal information about you just because you visit this Internet site. There are applications on this Web site that provide you with the opportunity to order forms, ask questions requiring a response, sign up for electronic newsletters, participate in focus groups and customer surveys, or learn the status of filed returns or anticipated payments. Using these services is voluntary and may require that you provide additional personal information to us. Providing the requested information implies your consent for us to use this data in order to respond to your specific request.


Your Privacy Rights

The IRS is committed to protecting the privacy rights of America's taxpayers. These rights are protected by the Internal Revenue Code, the Privacy Act of 1974, the Freedom of Information Act, and IRS policies and practices. For more information about these laws, visit the IRS Electronic Freedom of Information Act Reading Room.


Access to Privacy Impact Assessments

Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) are performed on computer systems and applications in order to evaluate any risks these systems may pose to personally identifiable information. To view a PIA and/or to print one using your browser, go to our Privacy Impact Assessments site.  If you prefer to receive a paper copy, you may send a request to: 

Director, Office of Privacy, Information Protection & Data Security
Internal Revenue Service
Room 7050  OS:P
1111 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20224


Statistical Information

In order to improve service on our Web site, we automatically collect and maintain statistical information in our site's data logs that show network traffic flow and volume. These logs do not identify individuals who visit our Web site. This information is:

  • The name of the domain from which the visitor accesses the Internet (for example, “xcompany.com” if you use a private Internet access account; “yourschool.edu” if you connect from an educational domain; or, "agency.gov" if you connect from a U.S. government domain).
  • The Internet Protocol (IP) Address from which you access our Web site.
  • The date and time (with time zone) that you access our Web site.
  • The type of browser and operating system used to access our Web site.
  • The Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our website.
  • The web pages on www.irs.gov that you visit. This helps to determine which information on our site the public finds most useful and enables us to make it easier to access.
  • Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) packet data. This information is used to detect malicious activity on our Web site.
  • Session cookie ID. This helps us determine which sequences of pages users typically view. We use this information to make the site easier to use.
  • Other cookies used to validate voluntary customer survey results.  These are of limited duration and cannot be used to identify survey participants or track their page or web site visits.
  • Visitor Display Color Depth (e.g., 32 bits, 24 bits, etc.) and Visitor Screen Resolution (e.g., 1024 x 768 pixels, 800 x 600 pixels, etc.). This information helps determine the colors and sizes of graphics and other design elements that work best on our site.
  • Number of bytes received helps determine the computer and network capacity required to make the site available to the public.

All of this data is retained for a minimum of 90 days to comply with federal record-keeping requirements, and then deleted. Collection and analysis of this information in the aggregate will enable us to enhance site performance, improve informational materials available on our website, and improve overall customer service.


Security

We make no attempts to identify individual users unless we suspect illegal behavior. To keep this service available and secure, we monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to add or change information, or otherwise cause damage to the website. By using this Web site you consent to such monitoring. Unauthorized attempts to upload information and/or change information on this website are strictly prohibited and are subject to prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986, the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act, and Title 18 USC Sections 1001 and 1030.


If You Send Us Information On-line

Our website offers the opportunity to ask questions, request information, or to obtain other services. Use of these options is voluntary. By furnishing the requested information, you are deemed to have consented to use of your data. We will use the information you provide only for the reasons you provided it.

To enable us to respond to your requests, you may need to provide personal or tax information. Please read the supplemental Privacy statements that appear and know that whenever we request such information, it will be used only for the purposes you provide it.

Your personal information will not be retained any longer than is necessary to provide the service. And, your personal information will not be sold or shared with any other party except as required by law. The information will be disposed of in accordance with National Archives' records management rules relating to the maintenance of electronic data.

The confidentiality of Internet transactions is not guaranteed. You must decide if you want to assume the risk that an unauthorized person may learn your e-mail address or other information you may provide as it is transmitted. Once received by IRS your information is secured. We will not email refund information, account data, tax data, or other personal information as part of our response to you. If you would like us to answer a question that requires this type of information, please call 1-800-829-1040. You may also visit How to Contact Us in order to locate a specific IRS office that is convenient to you.



Customer Surveys

IRS conducts surveys by telephone, by mail and online to capture taxpayer and tax practitioner opinions and suggestions for improving our products and services. The surveys are voluntary and if you choose to participate, you and your answers remain anonymous. IRS conducts its surveys using contractors who have passed a rigid security screening process to maintain your confidentiality.

It is important to remember that an IRS survey will never ask you for personal information like your Social Security Number, your Taxpayer Identification Number or any credit card or bank information. An IRS survey may ask you specific questions about your tax filing experiences, for example: Did you file a Form 1040 with a Schedule C?;  Did you receive a notice regarding your taxes?; or, What is your level of satisfaction with certain IRS services? If you receive a survey that requests personal information, do not participate, it could be an attempt to steal your identity.

All printed IRS surveys you receive in the mail will provide an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) number. IRS surveys conducted by telephone and online will provide an IRS contact person if you wish to verify the authenticity of the survey.


 Cookies

“Persistent cookies” collect personal information to recognize your computer in the future. The IRS does not use “persistent cookies” or other technology to collect personally identifiable information about visitors to our Web site. Cookies of a limited nature may be used for voluntary customer surveys. Their purpose is to validate feedback, and cannot be used to identify survey participants or track web usage.

“Temporary” or “session” cookies are used on all IRS.gov Web pages. These cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active browser session. Session cookies are used by some of the IRS applications deployed on our website as well to accurately analyze how visitors navigate through our website at an aggregated-level. These cookies do not collect personal information on visitors, and they are erased as soon as you close your web browser. No personally identifiable information about you is maintained as a result of a temporary or session cookie.

You can configure your Web browser to accept or decline cookies, or to alert you when cookies are in use. You do not have to accept cookies from us, but if you choose not to, some of the functions on our site may not be available to you.


Links to Other Sites

This Web site provides access to other websites outside our control. When you link to these Web sites, you leave our website and your communications no longer are protected by our privacy policy. IRS is not responsible for the privacy practices nor the content of non-IRS Web sites. We recommend that you review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used. The IRS provides links to other Web sites as a service but does not endorse non-IRS Web sites or validate their content.

 


Page Last Reviewed or Updated: April 02, 2009