S. 1051Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Protect Taxpayers’ Privacy Act

Sponsored by Mike BraunSen. Mike Braun (R-IN)
Introduced March 29, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 5:24 AM UTC

The Protect Taxpayers’ Privacy Act raises the civil penalties for anyone who discloses tax return information without permission and makes it easier to fire federal employees who do so. It changes the penalty amounts in the Internal Revenue Code and adjusts the civil‑service rules for removal. The bill applies to federal workers, tax return preparers, and anyone handling taxpayer data.

Key Provisions

  • Increases the civil penalty for unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information under IRC §7213(a) from $5,000 to $250,000.
  • Raises the penalty for tax return preparers who improperly disclose or use taxpayer data under IRC §7216 from $1,000 (or $100,000 in certain cases) to $250,000.
  • Amends the civil‑service removal statute to allow removal of employees for violating §7213(a)(1) and clarifies that such removals cannot be appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

March 29, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 29, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

March 29, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 29, 2023

II

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1051

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 29, 2023

Mr. Braun introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To amend title 5, United States Code, to lower the standard for removing employees who disclose tax return information without authorization, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protect Taxpayers’ Privacy Act.

2.

Increase of penalty for unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information

(a)

In general

Paragraph (1) of section 7213(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking $5,000 and inserting $250,000.

(b)

Disclosures by tax return preparers

Subsection (a) of section 7216 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking $1,000 ($100,000 in the case of a disclosure or use to which section 6713(b) applies) and inserting $250,000.

(c)

Effective date

The amendments made by this section shall apply to disclosures made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

3.

Removal

(a)

In general

Section 7701(c)(1)(A) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting or in the case of an action involving a removal from the service for an alleged violation of section 7213(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, after described in section 4303,.

(b)

Rule of construction

The amendments made by subsection (a) may not be construed to permit an officer or employee of the United States to submit an appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board if that individual is dismissed from office or discharged from employment upon conviction for a violation of section 7213(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.