Access to IRS tax returns...

"WASHINGTON � Congress passed legislation Saturday giving two committee chairmen and their assistants access to income tax returns (search) without regard to privacy protections, but not before red-faced Republicans said it was all a mistake and would be swiftly repealed."

"Members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee now have limited access to tax returns, but there are severe criminal and civil penalties if the information is disclosed or misused."

Whole article found here...

I was listening to testimony on CSpan this morning about this, and was concerned about it.

I decided to look into it, but also to throw this to the ATS community (which I rarely do honestly) to help compile information.

It seems that they can make agents who would have the same authority to retrieve tax returns on anyone with no civil or criminal penalties