Wisconsin Tax mailing has Social Security numbers visible

The Milwaukee Journal reports:

When Wisconsin taxpayers pull their packets of 2006 state income tax forms out of their mailboxes, tens of thousands of them will see something even less welcome than the annual reminder of how much money they owe to Madison.


They'll see their Social Security numbers, printed right on the outside of the booklets - where identity thieves might be able to see them.

About 170,000 tax booklets were mailed with Social Security numbers on the address labels because of a computer programming error at a printing company hired by the state, Meredith Helgerson, spokeswoman for the state Department of Revenue, said Friday. That's about 15% of the 1.1 million booklets mailed out to individual taxpayers who file their returns by mail, she said.

The error is limited to taxpayers who filed Form 1, the long form, by mail earlier this year to pay their 2005 state income taxes, Helgerson said. It does not affect individuals who filed electronically or through professional tax preparers; individuals who filed the state's short, EZ or non-resident forms; or businesses, she said.

Those who want nationalized health care don't want you to have any privacy either.You might want to think about that.