Maria's Monday Memo - March 27, 2006

Maria’s Monday Memo
Senator Maria Cantwell’s Weekly Update for Washington State	Monday, March 27, 2006

Protecting Private Taxpayer Data

A proposal currently under consideration by the IRS would allow income-tax preparers to sell or share private information from their clients’ tax returns. This would not only put private information into the public domain, but also aid identity thieves at the expense of American taxpayers. While tax preparers would still have to obtain written consent before selling or sharing data, many taxpayers who sign consent forms may be unaware that they’re granting widespread access to information they might want to keep private. The IRS needs to reexamine this proposal to make sure personal data isn’t available to the highest bidder, especially at a time when identity theft is our nation’s fastest growing crime.

Promoting Better Ocean Monitoring to Address Climate Change Concerns

Oceans cover nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface and play a central role in our weather patterns, transportation system, global economy, and way of life. A better, more complete understanding of oceans can help protect human lives and property from storms and tsunamis, bolster America’s security and stability, and improve our ability to monitor and predict climate change. That’s why I’m calling on Congress and the administration to support the Integrated Coastal Ocean Observing System. Previously funded through several separate sources, I am calling for NOAA to manage a single competitive grants program to better fund and coordination regional components of this important system. Given the current debate over climate change, we need more information about what’s happening in our ocean ecosystems.

Remember the Sales Tax Deduction

With Tax Day less than a month away, I want to remind everyone one more time to take advantage of the sales tax deduction for Washington state. This deduction, which I helped get signed into law, allows Washington state taxpayers to deduct state and local sales taxes from their federal tax returns. To help taxpayers better understand the deduction, the IRS has posted tables and instructions at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sa.pdf (see page 11 for the Washington state table). For a fact sheet on the deduction, visit http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=152316,00.html

Currently, the deduction is set to expire at the end of the 2005 tax season. Last month, however, an overwhelming majority of my Senate colleagues joined me in support of adding a provision to a pending tax bill that would make the sales tax deduction permanent. This bill is now in the final stages of working its way through Congress, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure a permanent sales tax deduction becomes law.

http://cantwell.senate.gov