2006 Ohio Revised Code - 5703.21. Prohibition against divulging information; audits of department of taxation.

§ 5703.21. Prohibition against divulging information; audits of department of taxation.
 

(A)  Except as provided in divisions (B) and (C) of this section, no agent of the department of taxation, except in the agent's report to the department or when called on to testify in any court or proceeding, shall divulge any information acquired by the agent as to the transactions, property, or business of any person while acting or claiming to act under orders of the department. Whoever violates this provision shall thereafter be disqualified from acting as an officer or employee or in any other capacity under appointment or employment of the department. 

(B) (1)  For purposes of an audit pursuant to section 117.15 of the Revised Code, or an audit of the department pursuant to Chapter 117. of the Revised Code, or an audit, pursuant to that chapter, the objective of which is to express an opinion on a financial report or statement prepared or issued pursuant to division (A)(7) or (9) of section 126.21 of the Revised Code, the officers and employees of the auditor of state charged with conducting the audit shall have access to and the right to examine any state tax returns and state tax return information in the possession of the department to the extent that the access and examination are necessary for purposes of the audit. Any information acquired as the result of that access and examination shall not be divulged for any purpose other than as required for the audit or unless the officers and employees are required to testify in a court or proceeding under compulsion of legal process. Whoever violates this provision shall thereafter be disqualified from acting as an officer or employee or in any other capacity under appointment or employment of the auditor of state. 

(2) As provided by section 6103(d)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, any federal tax returns or federal tax information that the department has acquired from the internal revenue service, through federal and state statutory authority, may be disclosed to the auditor of state solely for purposes of an audit of the department. 

(C)  Division (A) of this section does not prohibit any of the following: 

(1) Divulging information contained in applications, complaints, and related documents filed with the department under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code or in applications filed with the department under section 5715.39 of the Revised Code; 

(2) Providing information to the office of child support within the department of job and family services pursuant to section 3125.43 of the Revised Code; 

(3) Disclosing to the board of motor vehicle collision repair registration any information in the possession of the department that is necessary for the board to verify the existence of an applicant's valid vendor's license and current state tax identification number under section 4775.07 of the Revised Code; 

(4) Providing information to the administrator of workers' compensation pursuant to sections 4123.271 [4123.27.1] and 4123.591 [4123.59.1] of the Revised Code; 

(5) Providing to the attorney general information the department obtains under division (J) of section 1346.01 of the Revised Code; 

(6) Permitting properly authorized officers, employees, or agents of a municipal corporation from inspecting reports or information pursuant to rules adopted under section 5745.16 of the Revised Code; 

(7) Providing information regarding the name, account number, or business address of a holder of a vendor's license issued pursuant to section 5739.17 of the Revised Code, a holder of a direct payment permit issued pursuant to section 5739.031 [5739.03.1] of the Revised Code, or a seller having a use tax account maintained pursuant to section 5741.17 of the Revised Code, or information regarding the active or inactive status of a vendor's license, direct payment permit, or seller's use tax account; 

(8) Releasing invoices or invoice information furnished under section 4301.433 [4301.43.3] of the Revised Code pursuant to that section; 

(9) Providing to a county auditor notices or documents concerning or affecting the taxable value of property in the county auditor's county. Unless authorized by law to disclose documents so provided, the county auditor shall not disclose such documents; 

(10) Providing to a county auditor sales or use tax return or audit information under section 333.06 of the Revised Code. 
 

HISTORY: GC § 1465-16; 102 v 224, § 18; Bureau of Code Revision, 10-1-53; 141 v H 201 (Eff 7-1-85); 143 v S 257 (Eff 9-26-90); 146 v H 167 (Eff 11-15-95); 147 v H 215 (Eff 9-29-97); 147 v H 143 (Eff 12-18-97); 148 v H 362 (Eff 6-30-99); 148 v H 180 (Eff 8-6-99); 148 v H 283 (Eff 9-29-99); 148 v H 471 (Eff 7-1-2000); 148 v H 483 (Eff 1-1-2002); 148 v S 287, § 7 (Eff 1-1-2001); 148 v S 180, §§ 1, 3 (Eff 3-22-2001); 149 v S 200 (Eff 9-6-2002); 149 v H 371 (Eff 10-11-2002); 149 v S 180. Eff 4-9-2003; 151 v S 7, § 1, eff. 6-30-06; 151 v H 530, § 101.01, eff. 6-30-06.
 

The effective date is set by § 812.03 of 151 v H 530. 

 

Effect of Amendments

151 v H 530, effective June 30, 2006, added (C)(10). 

151 v S 7, effective June 30, 2006, in (C)(4), substituted "sections 4123.271 and" for "section".