Tax Information Use & Disclosure Notice
Last updated August 9, 2026.
Federal law (26 U.S.C. Section 7216 and its regulations) governs how a paid tax return preparer may use or disclose the tax return information a client provides. This page explains that law in plain terms and describes how Filing Karma handles consent when it applies.
You do not need to sign anything to have your return prepared
Federal regulations are explicit on this point: you are not required to complete any consent form to engage Filing Karma for tax return preparation services, and a tax preparer may not make return preparation conditional on signing one. If we ever present you with a consent form, it will be for a purpose beyond preparing that specific return, such as sharing information with our affiliated firm for a different service, and declining it will not affect our ability to prepare your return.
When consent is required
Unless a specific exception in the regulations applies, Filing Karma may not disclose your tax return information to a third party, or use it for a purpose other than preparing and filing your return, without your prior written consent. This would apply, for example, if we wanted to share your information with Accounting Karma for a bookkeeping or advisory engagement separate from your tax return, or to use your information to offer you another service. We do not do this without asking first.
The consent language required by federal law
When consent is required, federal law (Revenue Procedure 2013-14) requires the following mandatory statements to appear on the consent form itself. We reproduce that required language here so you know what to expect if we ever ask for your consent.
Consent to use tax return information
Federal law requires this consent form be provided to you. Unless authorized by law, we cannot use your tax return information for purposes other than the preparation and filing of your tax return without your consent.
You are not required to complete this form to engage our tax return preparation services. If we obtain your signature on this form by conditioning our tax return preparation services on your consent, your consent will not be valid. Your consent is valid for the amount of time that you specify. If you do not specify the duration of your consent, your consent is valid for one year from the date of signature.
Consent to disclose tax return information
Federal law requires this consent form be provided to you. Unless authorized by law, we cannot disclose your tax return information to third parties for purposes other than the preparation and filing of your tax return without your consent. If you consent to the disclosure of your tax return information, Federal law may not protect your tax return information from further use or distribution.
You are not required to complete this form to engage our tax return preparation services. If we obtain your signature on this form by conditioning our tax return preparation services on your consent, your consent will not be valid. If you agree to the disclosure of your tax return information, your consent is valid for the amount of time that you specify. If you do not specify the duration of your consent, your consent is valid for one year from the date of signature.
How to report improper use or disclosure
Federal law also requires that every consent form include the following statement, which we reproduce here as well:
If you believe your tax return information has been disclosed or used improperly in a manner unauthorized by law or without your permission, you may contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) by telephone at 1-800-366-4484, or by email at [email protected].
Questions
If you have questions about how this applies to your situation, contact us at [email protected] or (949) 246-7277 before signing anything.