[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 54 (Monday, March 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-6543]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 21, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service

 

Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; System of Records

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of proposed amendment of a Privacy Act System of 
Records.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 
1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Treasury Department, Internal 
Revenue Service, gives notice of a proposed amendment to the system of 
records entitled Individual Master File (IMF)--Treasury/IRS 24.030. The 
system notice was last published in its entirety in the Federal 
Register, Vol. 57, page 14040, April 17, 1992.
    The purpose of this amendment is to add a routine use to allow the 
disclosure of taxpayer identity information to payors of reportable 
payments subject to the backup withholding provisions authorized by 
I.R.C. Section 3406(b). This amendment also increases the types of 
individuals within the category of individuals covered by this system 
of records, as well as reflect the on-line access to Taxpayer 
Identification Numbers (TINs) and name controls by authorized users 
(i.e., filers of information documents subject to the backup 
withholding provisions).

DATES: Comments must be received no later than April 15, 1994. The 
amendment to this system of records will be effective April 25, 1994, 
unless comments are received which result in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Office of the Assistant Chief 
Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting--CC:IT&A:01), Internal Revenue 
Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 5238, P.O. Box 7604, Ben 
Franklin Station, Attn: CC:Corp:T:R (IA-8-92), Washington, DC 20044. 
Comments will be made available for inspection and copying in the 
Freedom of Information Reading Room, Internal Revenue Service, Office 
of Disclosure, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224, 
upon request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the operating 
systems specifications, contact Frances Drummond, Programmer/Systems 
Administrator, Office of the Assistant Commissioner (Information 
Systems Management), Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 1208, Route 9 & 
Needy Road, Martinsburg, West Virginia 25401 or telephone (304) 263-
8700 (not a toll-free call); or, for general information, Delores 
Schmidt, Senior Program Analyst, Office of the Assistant Commissioner 
(Collection), Information Reporting Program, Internal Revenue Service, 
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 2013, Washington, DC 20224 or 
telephone (202) 622-3487 (not a toll-free call).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed changes will enable the 
implementation of the TIN Matching Program. Participation in the 
program will initially be limited to 200 randomly selected participants 
plus some non-randomly selected Federal agencies. A criteria for 
selection in this program is that each of these participants will have 
previously filed information documents pursuant to the backup 
withholding provisions in I.R.C. 3406. The participants in the 
prototype program will be able to match the TIN and name control of any 
payee who may receive a reportable payment under the backup withholding 
provisions prior to filing the relevant information return with the 
IRS. Under the program, prior to filing an information return, a payor 
of a reportable payment as defined in section 3406(b) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 may contact, via their own computer and modem, the 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) concerning the TIN and name control 
furnished by a payee of that payment. Upon receiving the inquiry, the 
Service will advise the payor whether the name control and TIN 
combination provided by the payor matches a name control and TIN 
combination retained on the Service's Individual Master File.
    Before undertaking major and costly steps to implement a full-scale 
program, the Service wants to measure the costs and benefits of this 
program. Accordingly, the Service plans to commence with up to a two-
year prototype (i.e., pilot project). Under the prototype, payors will 
be given a unique identifiable Personal Identification Number (PIN) and 
a user code for access to the Service's stand-alone computer. The 
Service's computer will have a data base of all Employer Identification 
Numbers (EINs) and Social Security Numbers (SSNs). The prototype will 
respond to an inquiry only when there is a ``no-match''. This ``no-
match'' response to an inquiry will only state that there is no 
existing match with IRS records. No other information will be provided. 
This program will expire two years after the implementation date of the 
prototype.
    The records in this program are part of the Individual Master File 
(IMF) system of records--Treasury/IRS 24.030. The specific changes to 
this system of records are consistent with the purpose of this system 
to make relevant disclosures concerning tax administration.

    Dated: March 15, 1994.
G. Dale Seward,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary (Administration).
Treasury/IRS 24.030
    Individual Master File (IMF), Returns Processing--Treasury/IRS.
* * * * *
    Description of the change: Replace current text with the following 
text:
    Individuals who file and/or are included on Federal Individual 
Income Tax Returns (i.e., Forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ); individuals 
who file other information filings; and power of attorney notifications 
for individuals.
* * * * *
    Description of the change: Replace current text with the following 
text:
    Disclosure of returns and return information may be made only as 
provided by: (1) 26 U.S.C. 3406, and (2) 26 U.S.C. 6103.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 94-6543 Filed 3-18-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830-01- M