Galt's Gulch

104,000 Taxpayers' Personal Info Stolen from IRS Website

Posted by Wonky 8 years, 10 months ago to Government
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Wouldn't it be nice if this prompted the government to transition to a national sales tax or some other alternative to income tax?
SOURCE URL: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2015/05/27/irs-website-taxpayers-personal-info-stolen/

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  • Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 8 years, 10 months ago
    Hello Wonky,
    And they want us to trust the IRS to control and access our health records and system...
    We are doomed.
    O.A.
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    • Posted by dbhalling 8 years, 10 months ago
      And if this happen to a private company they would be sued, there would be congressional investigations, and possibly criminal charges.
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      • Posted by Wonky 8 years, 10 months ago
        What, if anything, would you do to use this to initiate a national campaign to pressure congress to immediately begin work on new methods of taxation?

        I didn't have much input on jbrenner's post on accelerating "stopping the motor of the world" (http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts/31...), because I'm not on board with forcing the issue whether it is sabotage or not. The premise that large numbers of people can "resonate" with a cause is fairly self-evident, however. Restructuring taxation 1. to make it constitutional (income tax never was), and 2. to make it anonymous to individuals, seems like a cause that most individuals could resonate with. In modern layman's terms, the right messages in the right places at the right times could go viral.
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    • Posted by Wonky 8 years, 10 months ago
      I'd like to think that if nothing else, then on the pretense of benevolence in light of this massive breach, many of our politicians will be open to alternative methods of taxation that allow us to maintain our anonymity. When I pay state sales tax, I don't give anyone any data that could be used in the theft of my identity.

      What would it take to reignite a movement to abolish the IRS by using this as the launching point? Isn't the special interest group in this case every taxpayer?
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  • Posted by Ibecame 8 years, 10 months ago
    Just add this to the information stolen on the Obamacare sites, and those records stolen with the compliance of the Medical Records collection Act. That should make just about everyone in the US that has had their records stolen. Thats the bad.
    The good is that all you have to do to minimize it is a small amount of work. Balance your bank accounts every month along with your credit cards and check your credit for free three times a year. Here is my tip: You get to pull a free credit report from all three agencies every year, but you don't have to pull them at the same time. I pull mine three times a year for free.
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    • Posted by Wonky 8 years, 10 months ago
      Sounds like if you're one of the 104,000, you might be given free credit monitoring by the IRS (a.k.a. yourself as a taxpayer).
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      • Posted by johnpe1 8 years, 10 months ago
        I wish that our membership in LifeLock was tax-
        deductible. . the ultimate service ain't cheap. -- j
        .
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        • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
          John, find a way to tie it into your business, if you don't have one, start one. After all, you need it to make sure your business credentials are maintained. I have been told of some much more bizarre deductions for business than that.
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          • Posted by johnpe1 8 years, 10 months ago
            good idea! . we can do percentages, like we do for
            the phone. . Thank You Much for the reminder!!! -- j
            .
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            • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
              No prob, my neighbor had to supply his taxes as part of a BK lawsuit, and I was absolutely amazed at how he wrote off $1 million in stock trades using 200 alpacas, and did it 3 years in a row. Never got audited, and claimed money back, paid in 0. Best of all he claimed 3 years of property taxes and never paid a dime. Thats when I realized they have no idea who is doing what, and a CPA friend told me some of these cool little idea. She even claimed I could take off all my dogs food, vet etc because we needed the dog to protect our horses (business). It is a complete sham.
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              • Posted by johnpe1 8 years, 10 months ago
                we have a dog and could claim him as a security
                provider! . we need him to protect our tree farms
                which are a few miles down the road. . good ole
                creative accounting. . Thanks, Chief!!! -- j
                .
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                • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
                  You are most welcome, sir! I guess some CPAs are better at "creative accounting" than others. I still wonder at some of the stuff she dredges up.
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                  • Posted by johnpe1 8 years, 10 months ago
                    and by the way, my favorite character in red october
                    has always been the sonar guy -- with his sony mdrV6
                    headphones and his music. . at y12, we did some
                    work for the navy -- propulsors in NiAl bronze and
                    the like ... very fun work!!! -- j

                    p.s. I saved 'em thousands, once, using an air force
                    technique, and we also taught y12 how to safety-wire
                    fasteners. . gave 'em a usaf-quality pair of pliers.
                    .
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                    • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
                      I had a Capt come in Sonar once and tell me I reminded him of "Jonesy", and I told him that I really am not black. He then stammered about how I could classify contacts etc.. It was fun to watch. He was a good guy, just not really what you expect of a "captain".
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                      • Posted by johnpe1 8 years, 10 months ago
                        some O-6es are just fine and not so political as you
                        might expect. . I worked for a usaf helicopter pilot
                        (there are a few) who was like that -- great guy for
                        a full bird. -- j
                        .
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                        • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
                          Wow, a little rare though aren't they? I once was sitting with the CO of the Ohio (a FB O-6) who I was talking to about his people shortages (I did the manning at CSG-9 (Tridents) in Bangor, Wa. He was telling me just how much he enjoyed being the boss of a Trident, and how much he was going to miss it, and the fact that he was the highest paid O-6 in the Navy (based on time, rank and w/sea/sub pay). I was amazed at how much he made (in 1992). That was when a huge house in Kitsap County, Wa went for 130K. But he was pretty easy going, he had one fetish: pizza. If the Chief MS I was trying to get for him couldn't make good pizza he didn't want him. He didn't care if he burned water, as long as he made good pizza.
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                          • Posted by johnpe1 8 years, 10 months ago
                            I learned to burn water when I was single, between
                            marriages. . recycled the pot;; it was holy.

                            I do hope that they pay sub people well;; they give
                            up their lives for BIG chunks of time. . and how do
                            you keep up with the world when submerged?
                            it must be a challenge -- keep track of the gulch?!!! -- j
                            .
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                            • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
                              Oh, this was 20 years before the Gulch, we were given 8 "familygram" messages for every 90 day patrol, and mail on rare occasions. That was for the SSBN boats. The Fast Attacks would deploy for 6-9 months and had it a lot harder. I spent 9.5 years under water out of 20. I do not know if they can get any internet on some of their antennas if in port or something. I do know that in my last couple years PCs were just coming on board and primitive (very) networks were being used.
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                              • Posted by johnpe1 8 years, 10 months ago
                                oh yes, the kids of today will feel like they have been
                                buried in a tomb, without their electronic connections!
                                and nine-plus years underwater must feel like the
                                missing time -- where did it go?? . zowie. . you
                                guys are tough. -- j
                                .
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      • Posted by Ibecame 8 years, 10 months ago
        Very good, and I believe an Objectivist viewpoint. Wondering if this has been being done on purpose, after all they need to expand government to accommodate this, and expand it more to monitor our credit for our safety, and of course they now can track everything we spend and what we spend it on. Not to many years back I would have dismissed this kind of idea as paranoid.
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        • Posted by Wonky 8 years, 10 months ago
          All the more reason to keep this in the news and promote responses from the masses. What would you do to help keep people focused on the issue in order to keep up the pressure on congress to reform taxation in such a way that individual taxpayers can retain their anonymity?
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  • Posted by woodlema 8 years, 10 months ago
    First the IRS was not hacked. As much as I dislike them this was not an IRS breach.

    This was a case of individuals who lost their own personal information allowing thieves to access their refund information.

    If I hacked YOUR computer, stole your identity info, and records of your previous years tax information , I can also log into the IRS and "steal" your refund. This is not a failure of the IRS, so much as a failure or people protecting their own information.
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    • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
      I think you are right woodlema, it seems that they used info from other thefts to get more info. It is inherent in the whole "prove who you are" method of verifying security. If they use your name, SSN, DOB and that is a common data set found in almost any id system, they could breach this one. The Home Depot breach gave such info out and that was a break in type. The real issue is they never seem to be able to find, and effectively prosecute such people. I could easily go for some really bad things for them, in that such theft is a very personal crime.
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    • Posted by Wonky 8 years, 10 months ago
      Agreed in part... They needed Name, filing status, SSN, & a few bits of information about your history (previous address or the like). What they got from that, however, was all of the information on your previous returns - bank names, investment brokerages, employment information, and everything else that is included in your tax documents. All of that was needed to generate legitimate looking tax documents in order to steal refunds where possible. In essence, their databases grew significantly in accuracy, thus making future attempts at identity theft much more likely of succeeding.
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      • Posted by woodlema 8 years, 10 months ago
        Yes, and the IRS, Banks, you and me cannot STOP the intrusion if we give out our information to other people who are smart enough to piece it all together.

        Give people your username and password then blame the bank for not protecting you. hhheheh,.
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  • Posted by SaltyDog 8 years, 10 months ago
    104,000 that they're admitting to. I think if the last few years have taught us anything about the IRS it is that the agency is a tool of political expediency and will never admit to the whole truth of a matter. Lois Lerner is the obvious case that leaps Immeiately to mind...lie through her teeth, refuse to answer to Congress, then retire with a nice, cozy, six figure income.
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    • Posted by Wonky 8 years, 10 months ago
      They are mailing 200,000 taxpayers in response to the hack (on our dime of course). They are planning to offer free credit monitoring services to the 104,000 (on our dime of course). I hope this prompts a huge public response and massive pressure to change.
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      • Posted by SaltyDog 8 years, 10 months ago
        Free credit monitoring. From the IRS. Talk about two wolves and a sheep arguing over what's for lunch.

        Have you ever noticed how it reads when you take the space out from between "THE" and "IRS"?
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  • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
    Remember, these were the people who could not keep track of emails, but know exactly what you are cheating on. They also have a hard time with hard drives...
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  • Posted by Herb7734 8 years, 10 months ago
    When it comes to the IRS the real issue is the overabundance of power that it has. An IRS audit strikes almost as much fear in the average citizen as a visit by the Gestapo did in Germany. Powerful corporations have all kinds of lawyers and accountants, and the officers are set up so that no responsibility can be laid in their laps. Not so with Mr or Ms. Public. They, for the most part, are aware that guilty or innocent, the IRS can destroy their lives to the point where they can never be recovered. That's why it must go and all the other reasons are dwarfed in comparison.
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  • Posted by SamAnderson 8 years, 10 months ago
    Politicians love to be able to use the tax code to selectively reward some, and penalize others, often in an under the radar way that would never pass inspection if made transparent. I don't think its likely the state will make taxation simple and transparent. Not happening.
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    • Posted by $ nickursis 8 years, 10 months ago
      I once heard it mentioned one of the great lobby groups for a complicated tax code was CPA's. But I think almost every major group wants their little bit. The Alpaca association had an exemption of 200K/year for 5 years if you started a herd. I couldn't believe that one. Like we need more alpacas.... It is too powerful a tool for the masters to play favorites with.
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  • Posted by gaiagal 8 years, 10 months ago
    Since taxation has nothing to do with improving the lives of the general population and everything to do with improving the lifestyles of the governing population, why would this prompt any transition? What do the lives of 100,000 people mean when set against the good of the whole? A slight speed bump in the marketing road of feigned benevolence.
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