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Package of tax data still missing
Staff Writer A package containing tax data that was reported missing June 13 between Baxter and St. Paul still has not been found, James Zwilling, spokesman with the Minnesota Department of Revenue, said Wednesday.
Zwilling said postal inspectors and the revenue department are still searching for the package that contains private information on 50,000 taxpayers - mostly businesses being audited for back taxes.
The server backup tape contained Social Security numbers and other information for 2,400 individual taxpayers and identifying information on 48,000 businesses. The tape was sent in the package along with three checks totaling $2,400 and some interoffice correspondence.
Zwilling said they have not seen any signs that the package has been compromised. He said inspectors are searching for the missing package in Baxter and all the processing points.
"We do believe that the package is still in the state," said Zwilling. "We are also taking other action to find the package and monitoring the checking accounts to make sure the checks in the package haven't been cashed and there has not been any indication of that."
Zwilling said officials are concerned about the amount of time the package has been missing and are conducting internal reviews to make sure all procedures and policies were followed.
"We have no reason to believe the package was mishandled internally," said Zwilling. "We have the receipt from this package from Baxter."
Letters have been mailed to the affected individuals. Zwilling said the office received fewer than five phone calls from the individuals who had general questions about the process. Zwilling said officials are currently in the process of mailing letters to the affected businesses.
An employee sent the parcel by certified mail from a contract postal station in Baxter on May 16. Department employees noticed the checks hadn't been posted on June 13 and realized the package had disappeared.
The department of revenue said it would take about $50,000 worth of equipment, software and licenses to use the tape, which also is protected by a secret code. However, the tape's data wasn't encrypted.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER can be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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