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HEHS/AIMD-00-289R 1 (2000-08-21)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaallf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: I GAO Accountability * Integrity * Reliability United States General Accounting Office Health, Education, and Washington, DC 20548 Human Services Division B-286077 August 21, 2000 The Honorable Steve Horn Chairman, Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology Committee on Government Reform House of Representatives Subject: Responses to Questions From May 18thHearing on Uses of Social Security Numbers Dear Mr. Chairman: I would like to thank you for the opportunity to testify at the May 18, 2000, hearing on the uses of Social Security Numbers (SSN). At that hearing, I agreed to get back to you on two questions, and today I am providing you with the information we were able to obtain. First, you asked what problems are caused when necessary SSNs are not included on tax forms submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). When this occurs, IRS cannot link the taxpayer's information to other relevant past or future records. Basically, if IRS receives a tax return that does not contain the SSN of the primary taxpayer (the one filing the return),' the return is not to be processed until an SSN is obtained, generally by corresponding with the taxpayer. Also, if the return does not contain an SSN for a dependent child or a child for whom the taxpayer is claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit, the return is processed, but the taxpayer is not to be allowed a dependent exemption or any deduction or credit associated with the dependent, such as the credit for child and dependent care expenses and the child tax credit. If taxpayers later provide the missing SSNs, they are to be allowed the dependent exemption and any credit associated with the SSN. When SSNs are missing from information returns, such as forms 1099 for interest income and dividends, these are sent back to the payer. Second, you asked what actions federal agencies are taking in the area of using biometrics to identify individuals. Biometric recognition provides automated methods of identifying a person on the basis of a physiological or behavioral characteristic. Various human characteristics are used for biometric recognition, including 1On ajoint return the primary taxpayer is the one whose name is first on the return. GAO/HEHS/AIMD-00-289R Questions From Hearing on SSN Use

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