I honestly had never stopped to consider to what degree one has a reasonable 'expectation of privacy' in their tax returns and supporting documentation.
Unlike the local courthouse where I can log into a public server to run a general 'name search' just to see if my neighbor is involved in any criminal or civil litigation - I am not aware of a similar database where ordinary folks can log in and search by name to see if their neighbor filed a tax return last year or how much they made.
But, I am well aware that valuation of assets (particularly cars and homes that require independent property registration) far in excess of claimed income has always been one of the primary methods by which the IRS establishes more significant violations such as outright tax evasion or intentional failure to report income. And I always assumed that this type of info would be shared readily between government entities and agencies.
On one hand, I have no problem with any government agency ferreting out folks who are actively engaged in overt tax evasion - especially folks who are engaged in outright tax fraud while employed by the government and drawing a generous government salary that taxpayers are financing. And I expect the government to share information among the relevant agencies. But on the other hand, I'm not enthusiastic about the idea of the general public having access to each other's tax returns.
I guess a lot depends on what DOGE does with the info and what measures they have in place to assure that the information is accessed and examined for legitimate purposes - and not then made available to random civilians.
