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New Member
posted Nov 11, 2020 11:21:30 AM

Can the IRS tell someone who I have claimed on my taxes as a dependent?

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4 Replies
Level 15
Nov 11, 2020 11:35:31 AM

Tax return information is private by law.  If you are claimed by someone else, the IRS may contact you to resolve it, and you may be asked for proof that you aren't a dependent, but they won't tell you who did claim you.  Likewise, if you claim someone else as a dependent, the IRS does not notify that person unless there is some kind of discrepancy, such as someone else claimed them or they said they were not a dependent.  As before, the IRS will investigate and may ask the person to confirm their status but they won't tell the person who claimed them.  (The person might be able to guess, of course.)

New Member
Nov 11, 2020 11:40:35 AM

So what do I do if I suspect that the IRS has give out who I claimed as dependents, I have an email from the person saying who I claimed on my taxes and that he was told by an IRS agent. 

Level 15
Nov 11, 2020 11:44:08 AM


@bichop25 wrote:

So what do I do if I suspect that the IRS has give out who I claimed as dependents, I have an email from the person saying who I claimed on my taxes and that he was told by an IRS agent. 


You might try the Taxpayer Advocate service or the Inspector General.

https://www.irs.gov/taxpayer-advocate

 

https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/

 

If you made an allegedly improper claim, it would be up to the other person to prove they had the better claim under the law, that should not usually require the IRS telling them who you were. 

Level 3
Nov 11, 2020 1:47:46 PM

I have been in this business longer than I should be, and I don't think the IRS told anyone who you claimed. It is hard enough to get info out of IRS even when one is authorized, much less if there is no authorization.