State's new technology gathers information to find tax cheats

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
X-Sender:  (Unverified)
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 02:18:53 -0500
To: undisclosed-recipient:;
From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
Subject: State's new technology gathers information to find tax cheats


CONSUMER BEAT
State's new technology gathers information to find tax cheats
By linking to databases, individuals can be profiled

By Bruce Mohl, Globe Staff, 2/15/2004

If you get the urge to fudge a bit on your taxes this year because
you think, "Who's going to notice?" think again. The state Revenue
Department is watching. The agency has launched a technology
offensive with the goal of pulling together stray bits of information
about every Massachusetts taxpayer, searching for clues that would
indicate who isn't paying the taxes they owe.

State officials dismiss the notion they are playing Big Brother, but
the potential is rather Orwellian. In theory, said Revenue Department
Commissioner Alan LeBovidge, the state may eventually be able to
track down so much information about a resident's finances that the
state, rather than the individual, could complete the individual's
tax return.

...

http://www.boston.com/business/taxes/articles/2004/02/15/states_new_technology_gathers_information_to_find_tax_cheats/

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/