Your tax information and your privacy

Many clients ask us who can see the information on their tax return. Here are the plain facts, with sources. Updated October 23, 2026.

Tax preparers

Federal law (Internal Revenue Code section 7216) generally prohibits a tax preparer from disclosing or using your tax return information without your written consent. Breaking that rule can be a crime. This is the law we work under. How we handle your information is described in our privacy policy.

The IRS

Tax returns and return information are confidential under section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code. The law allows disclosure to other government agencies only in specific situations it lists.

IRS data sharing with immigration enforcement

In April 2025 the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security signed an agreement to share certain taxpayer information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That agreement has been challenged in court. On September 8, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously upheld an order that blocks the IRS procedure for sending taxpayer addresses to ICE (Center for Taxpayer Rights v. IRS). The government may ask for a rehearing or go to the Supreme Court, so this can change.

We can't promise what any government agency will do. If you are worried about how filing could affect an immigration matter, talk to an immigration attorney before you decide. Filing a tax return does not change your immigration status, and an ITIN does not authorize work.

We will update this page when the courts rule again.

Sources (checked October 23, 2026):

General information, not legal advice.