GOP Floats Tax Disclosure Penalty Hike After IRS Contractor Leak

House Ways and Means Republicans proposed upping penalties for the unlawful disclosure of a person’s tax information, after a former IRS contractor received a five-year sentence for leaking wealthy Americans’ tax data.

“The illegal disclosure of President Trump’s tax returns and thousands of Americans’ private tax information to The New York Times and ProPublica brought to light the need for more stringent penalties for the crime,” said Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) in a statement. All committee Republicans joined Smith on the bill.

The legislation would up the maximum fine to $250,000 from $5,000, and double the maximum prison sentence to a decade. ...