The IRS accidentally published some taxpayers' confidential information

The IRS admitted this week that it made a large unforced error, accidentally releasing confidential taxpayer data. The info for up to 120,000 individuals was exposed, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

Data from some Form 990-Ts were accidentally posted by the IRS. Only 501(c)(3) organizations are required to post that data publicly, but the IRS accidentally published some of the Form 990-Ts for non-501(c)(3) organizations.

"The IRS is required to publicly disclose this information for 501(c)(3) organizations; however, similar information was inadvertently published for a subset of non-501(c)(3)s, which are not subject to public disclosure," the IRS said in a statement. "However, the data does not include Social Security numbers, detailed account-holder information or individual income tax returns (Forms 1040). In some instances, the data does include individual names or business contact information."

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

SEE ALSO: The best tax software for freelancers, independent contractors, and gig workers

The report from the Journalnoted that the information was able to be downloaded for a period of time before the IRS fixed the mistake. The IRS said in its statement that it was "continuing to review this situation."

---

Related Stories

---

• How to stop your cell provider from sharing (some of) your data
• Got a strange text about your COVID vaccine? Here's what could be going on.
• Start taking your online privacy seriously with a subscription to NordVPN
• IRS deadline to direct deposit stimulus checks is very, very soon
• Tax season is here and so are the scams. Here's what to do if the IRS calls you.

If you're worried your info might've been exposed, you'll soon find out if that was the case. The IRS said it would be contacting the people affected in the coming weeks.