The IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 requires that we tell you the conditions under which return information may be disclosed to any party outside the Internal Revenue Service. We ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. You are required to give us the information. We need the information to ensure that you are complying with these laws and to allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax.

This notice applies to all papers you file with us, including this tax return. It also applies to any questions we need to ask you so we can complete, correct, or process your return; figure your tax; and collect tax, interest, or penalties.

You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law.

Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as required by section 6103. However, section 6103 allows or requires the Internal Revenue Service to disclose or give the information you write on your tax return to others as described in the Code. For example, we may disclose your tax information to the Department of Justice, to enforce the tax laws, both civil and criminal, and to cities, states, the District of Columbia, U.S. commonwealths or possessions, and certain foreign governments to carry out their tax laws. We may disclose your tax information to the Department of Treasury and contractors for tax administration purposes; and to other persons as necessary to obtain information that we cannot get in any other way in order to determine the amount of or to collect the tax you owe. We may disclose your tax information to the Comptroller General of the United States to permit the Comptroller General to review the Internal Revenue Service. We may disclose your tax information to Committe es of Congress; Federal, state, and local child support agencies; and to other Federal agencies for purposes of determining entitlement for benefits or the eligibility for and the repayment of loans. We may also disclose this information to other countries under a tax treaty, or to Federal and state agencies to enforce Federal nontax criminal laws and to combat terrorism.

Keep this notice with your records. It may help you if we ask you for other information. If you have any questions about the rules for filing and giving information, call or visit any Internal Revenue Service office.

The time needed to complete and file this form will vary depending on individual circumstances. The estimated average time is: Recordkeeping, 6 hr., 33 min.; Learning about the law or the form, 2 hr., 19 min.; Preparing the form, 6 hr., 28 min.; and Copying, assembling, and sending the form to the IRS, 1 hr., 16 min.

We Welcome Comments on Forms. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time estimates or suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. You can email us at *taxforms@irs.gov. Please put “Forms Comment” on the subject line. Or you can write to the Tax Products Coordinating Committee, Western Area Distribution Center, Rancho Cordova, CA 95743-0001. Do not send your return to this address. Instead, see Where To File on page 4.