How Private Should Privacy Be?

There is an odd connection between missing children cases and tax returns. This was found by Washington Federal treasury officials. Out of the more than 1,700 cases they examined, more than 1/3 of the children had been declared on tax returns. They were declared by relatives that are suspects for their abduction. Many domestic cases of child abduction remain unsolved and children are yet to be found.

The partners Sen. Amy Klobuchar and missing children’s advocate Patty Wetterling knock at law enforcement groups. They said tax returns of suspected abductors hold data that might lead to the solution of the cases. They suggest that, law enforcement agencies should be permitted to gain access at the tax return data of these “suspects”. Granting this flexibility might help in locating missing children across the country.

Klobuchar argued that the state should give a leeway on the privacy of those tax return records. They contain data that could potentially lead to the solution of these cases. These should be made available. Klobuchar is a former Hennepin County attorney who describes that there is no sense in overprotecting tax information data. The state would protect privacy as it should also exhaust all possible means in trying to find out where the kids are.

Divulging tax information to law enforcers would create more problems. Of the many privacy laws, those that revolve around taxes are one of the strongest in the US. Breaking the privacy of tax information data would also invite other compelling interests. Those of health care information and other government services are good examples.

Wetterling has lost a son an 11-year old son named Jacob. He was abducted neat their St. Joseph home in 1989. He is still one of the missing children. The missing child supporter said that they don’t “care about jurisdictional boundaries”. As parents they are only interested in getting their child back. In support to Klobuchar’s bill, Wetterling said this in a statement during the congressional panel hearing.

The senator noted that IRS allows disclosure of tax information data in some situations such as overdue student loans. This is part of a list of exceptions in the tax involving privacy. She further added that missing children shouldn’t be excluded from the list. It is clear that there should be a balance between protecting privacy rights and finding missing children. This is the real case.

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