TexasCHLforum.com

The only thing that bothers me about the notification aspect is what about public records laws? In many states if you write a letter to an elected official like a sheriff it becomes a public record. Unless state law provides an exception for Form 1s/4s sent under this new rule everyone's supposedly confidential tax forms will be out there in the public record.

The ATF justifies this breach of taxpayer privacy by saying that since it's not the ATF sending the form to the CLEO but rather the transferee it's all legit. Perhaps, but that also means that the person receiving that form is under no obligation to protect it, and indeed may have an affirmative duty to retain it for public inspection.