I got a quick email inquiry from someone (hello, B!) and he asked whether the voluntary disclosure procedures result in publicity — does the IRS publish the names of the people in the program?
No. It is totally private. The only way the IRS would blurt out your name to the general public is if you get indicted under one of the criminal tax provisions. In that case the Department of Justice would be doing the blurting.
Contrast this with giving up your citizenship or your green card. When you do that, you file Form 8854 with the IRS to log out of the U.S. tax system. This list is published every year. But that’s because of a special mandate — Congress said that the list should be published. Why? “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” is the easiest way to see it.

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