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Financial Disclosures Beyond Tax Day

Taxes and financial information are currently on the minds of many Americans, as April 15 typically marks the day that individual income tax returns need to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). While individual tax records are usually private, there are numerous financial and tax-related filings that are publicly available.

Property Tax Records, normally publicly available on local county websites, provide a glimpse into the value assessments and tax contributions associated with an individual’s or company’s real estate ownership. Often, these records also provide information about tax payment history, including late (or non) payments, fines, and other fees.

Form 990s – the IRS tax returns filed annually by 501(c) nonprofits – provide critical information for those interested in the financial workings of these organizations. These documents, which are required to be publicly disclosed upon request, offer a limited view into a nonprofit’s funding streams, board composition, independent contractor payments, assets, and investments held, among other key data.

Personal Financial Disclosures highlight the assets, liabilities, and income sources for many appointed and elected officials at the federal and state levels. While some political figures occasionally choose to preemptively disclose their tax returns, federally there are asset disclosure requirements that show investments held by these officials and a general value range of the asset. Additionally, officials are required to file reports whenever assets are bought and sold, providing insights into trading habits and in some cases, drawing accusations of insider trading.

Field Research is also a useful practice employed by Kyber Research, a subsidiary of BSG, to obtain financial documents that are publicly available, but not searchable online. With a network of analysts across the country, Kyber can deploy resources to local courthouses and other government facilities to obtain additional property records, deeds, and titles.

These are just a few of the many sources and datastreams our research team leverages to provide strategic intelligence and insights to our clients.

To learn more about all our research offerings, including our BSG Research Stack, with an expert team of 15 analysts across two continents, our utilization of 200+ unique databases, and proprietary datasets and solutions, email us at contact@bullpenstrategygroup.com.