Washington (Feb. 12, 2004) -- The Internal Revenue Service has started sharing leads with tax agencies in 45 states, the District of Columbia and New York City on more than 20,000 taxpayers engaged in abusive tax avoidance.
The sharing of leads is the first large transfer of information under the terms of the new IRS-state partnership unveiled in September 2003.
Under the terms of the partnership, the IRS and the states coordinate efforts to address common compliance concerns in the area of abusive tax avoidance transactions (ATAT) by working in tandem.
"The states and the IRS routinely share information, but the ATAT program presents us with an exceptionally fertile opportunity to help one another," said Stephen M. Cordi, deputy comptroller for Maryland and president of the Federation of Tax Administrators, an association of the tax agencies in all states, D.C. and New York City.
-- WebCPA staff
