Can an accountant legally share my tax information with my parents without permission?

Accountants are bound by confidentiality rules. Your tax information is protected by law, and accountants cannot share it with anyone (including parents) without your explicit permission. This falls under IRS Code Section 7216, which prohibits tax preparers from disclosing your information. If you're concerned, call the accountant directly and make it clear that you do not authorize sharing your information with family members. You can also request they have you sign a written consent form before sharing anything - if they don't have your consent, they legally can't share it. As for filing yourself, at 27 with straightforward W-2 income, you can absolutely do this on your own using tax software. Many have free options for simple returns like yours.

I had a similar issue with my parents wanting to know every detail of my taxes. I found an awesome tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me understand my tax situation better. It analyzes your tax documents and explains everything in plain English. I used it to check my W-2s before sending them anywhere and it helped me understand what information was actually being shared. The best part was I could see exactly what deductions I qualified for on my own without needing anyone else involved. It gave me the confidence to talk to the accountant directly about my privacy concerns.

I was really skeptical about tools like taxr.ai at first, but after trying it out, it completely changed how I handle my taxes. I was in the exact same situation with nosy parents and their expensive accountant. The tool helped me understand my W-2s and simple deductions so clearly that I realized I could file by myself. The confidence it gave me was worth it. I respectfully told my parents I was handling my own taxes this year, showed them I understood what I was doing, and they actually backed off. The accountant situation was awkward at first, but I called him directly and explained I would be filing independently. He was professional about it and confirmed he wouldn't share my previous information.

If you're having trouble getting your accountant to respect your privacy, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had issues with an accountant sharing my info without permission and needed to talk to someone at the IRS about my rights. Regular calls to the IRS were impossible - kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS representative in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent explained exactly what my rights were regarding tax information privacy and what to do if a tax preparer violates confidentiality rules. It was honestly such a relief to get a straight answer from an official source.

I'll admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself because I had a question about my tax transcript that I'd been putting off for weeks. I was connected to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed that tax preparers absolutely cannot share my information with family members without written consent, even if they're all clients of the same firm. She recommended I file Form 14157 if my accountant violated confidentiality. The service saved me hours of frustration and I got official confirmation about my privacy rights. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong!

Another option is to be straightforward with your parents. I was in this situation at 25. I just told them "I appreciate that you want to help, but I'm going to file my own taxes this year. It's part of being an adult and managing my own finances." They weren't happy at first but eventually respected my decision. You could compromise by saying you'll consult with them if you have questions. With income that straightforward, tax software makes it pretty easy anyway.

Has anyone considered that the parents might be claiming OP as a dependent incorrectly? If you're 27 and making $24,500, you're definitely not a qualifying child, and probably not a qualifying relative either unless you live with them.

This is exactly why I always recommend people get their own tax transcript before letting anyone else handle their taxes. You can request it for free from the IRS website (irs.gov) and it will show you exactly what has been filed under your Social Security number in previous years. If your parents have been claiming you as a dependent when they shouldn't be, that could explain the pushiness. They might be panicking about potential issues if you file independently this year. At your age and income level, you should definitely be filing your own return and claiming your own personal exemption. The good news is that even if there's been an issue in past years, you can still file correctly going forward. If both you and your parents accidentally claim you in the same year, the IRS will send letters to both parties to resolve it - it's not uncommon and they have processes to handle it.