1.   But he said the agency would regard the release of confidential taxpayer information as a serious matter and would seek an investigation.

2.   But the details had been kept secret as private taxpayer information.

3.   In a statement Wednesday, the revenue agency said that closing agreements were confidential taxpayer information and that their unauthorized disclosure violated the revenue code.

4.   In the past year, law enforcement officials have charged a handful of former IRS employees in Boston with abusing their access to confidential taxpayer information.

5.   It would be the first time private citizens would have access to confidential taxpayer information.

6.   The study used models developed in other states, as well as taxpayer information from Arizona.

7.   Mellon Bank officials repeated that it does not appear to be a case of identity theft, stolen checks or disclosure of sensitive taxpayer information.

8.   The GAO report was completed last May but was kept under wraps because it contained confidential taxpayer information protected by law.