|
A "Privacy Notice" is
required. I am giving you much more than that
! Please....read
on......
PRIVACY
POLICY
I am committed to
protecting your privacy and the security of the information I glean
from you or have developed on your behalf.
The information
gathered from you, both written and verbal is for the express use of
maintaining your personal and business records, preparing your
business and personal tax returns and to provide you with counsel
and advice that is appropriate for your
situation.
Your
identification and personal and business financial information is
never shared with anyone without your express consent.
Except, as I need to share information with a computer
technician or software company, in the resolution of a hardware or
software problem, I am not authorized to discuss your situation with
any person, company or government agency without the filing of
Federal Form 2848, Power of Attorney, however, beginning January 1,
2003, I will begin preparing Form 2848 as a normal part of every
client’s activity. This will allow me freedom to discuss your tax
return and situation with any relevant government agency. HOWEVER,
it is worthy to note, at this point, that our conversations are NOT
protected by any “Preparer/Client privilege,” in the way
conversations with an attorney are protected. If requested by
Internal Revenue Service, or any relevant state tax department or
department of revenue, to provide information about your tax return
or its preparation, I am obliged to cooperate with any audit or
other investigative matter. This does not mean I offer more
information than they request, but it does mean I cannot withhold
information if so requested.
It is also worthy
of note, at this point, to remind you that part of the benefit of
this Form 2848 is that any time you receive any communication from
Internal Revenue Service about any of the returns covered by this
form, I will be receiving a copy of that correspondence. This will
provide me with the advantage of not only being aware of the
correspondence, but to advise you of any appropriate response to it.
It is also worth of note that I will not be receiving a copy of
any correspondence that comes from any state or local agency. If
you receive any such correspondence, please advise me
immediately.
Internal Revenue
Service has placed on the tax returns an election box, that when
checked, allows Internal Revenue Service to discuss directly with me
the basics of your return, if a question arises in the processing of
that return. As I prepare your return, I will automatically check
this box to allow for this discussion privilege. If you would rather
not permit this privilege, please so advise and we will uncheck this
box on page two of your return. An excerpt from the 1040
instructions may help you understand the significance of this new
check box:
“…If you check
the “Yes” box you, and your spouse if filing a joint return, are
authorizing the IRS to call the designee to answer any questions
that may arise during the processing of your return. You are also
authorizing the designee to: Give the IRS any information that is
missing from your return, Call the IRS for information about the
processing of your return or the status of your refund or
payment(s), and Respond to certain IRS notices that you have shared
with the designee about the math errors, offsets, and return
preparation. The notices will not be sent to the designee. You are not authorizing the
designee to receive any refund check, bind you to anything
(including any additional tax liability), or otherwise represent you
before the IRS…” (Emphasis
is mine, TRM.) (Please note that this designation expires
one year following the due date of the current return. The Form 2848
has no expiration date, only a subject matter limitation – an
indication is made on the form as to the return and year
applicability.)
If you do not
wish to complete the Form 2848, please feel free to so advise. This
form is not a required part of any return. It’s purpose is to
improve my efficiency in the handling of your returns and tax
situation.
Your
identification and personal and business financial information is
never sold, loaned or otherwise distributed to any agency, company
or person(s) for any purpose, including, but not limited to,
solicitation of theirs or others products or services, except as
noted above. I do not outsource any of your work. It is done
IN MY OFFICE.
Documents you
provide me or that I develop and use in the office in the work I do
on your behalf that bear your identification or personal or business
financial information may, in time, become unnecessary, obsolete or
out of date. I never simply discard these items. Any document
bearing your information is always shredded. I would encourage you,
in the course of processing your documents, including “junk” mail,
in office and/or home, that you never simply discard unwanted or
no-longer-needed items. In our society and time, with the incidence
of identification theft on the increase, I would encourage you to
always shred any item that bears your identification or personal or
business information.
If you have any
questions or comments about my privacy policy, please do not
hesitate to express them.
Thomas R.
Miller
January 1,
2003
| 
