IRS wants to use social media to catch tax cheats

The Internal Revenue Service is seeking to use social media to catch tax cheats.

The agency's National Office of Procurement last week filed a request for information to find a tool that would mine data on social media.

“Businesses and individuals increasingly use social media to advertise, promote and sell products and services,” the IRS solicitation reads. “For example, taxpayers can create ‘online stores’ on social networking sites free of cost. Much of this information is unrestricted, allowing the public, businesses and various governmental agencies to discover taxpayers’ locations and income sources.

"But the IRS currently has no formal tool to access this public information, compile social media feeds or search multiple social media sites.”

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