74th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2007 Regular Session
 
 
                            Enrolled
 
                         Senate Bill 173
 
Printed pursuant to Senate Interim Rule 213.28 by order of the
  President of the Senate in conformance with presession filing
  rules, indicating neither advocacy nor opposition on the part
  of the President (at the request of Governor Theodore R.
  Kulongoski for Department of Revenue)
 
 
                     CHAPTER ................
 
 
                             AN ACT
 
 
Relating to disclosure of tax information; amending ORS 314.840.
 
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
 
  SECTION 1. ORS 314.840 is amended to read:
  314.840. (1) The Department of Revenue may:
  (a) Furnish any taxpayer, representative authorized to
represent the taxpayer under ORS 305.230 or person designated by
the taxpayer under ORS 305.193, upon request of the taxpayer,
representative or designee, with a copy of the taxpayer's income
tax return filed with the department for any year, or with a copy
of any report filed by the taxpayer in connection with the
return, or with any other information the department considers
necessary.
  (b) Publish lists of taxpayers who are entitled to unclaimed
tax refunds.
  (c) Publish statistics so classified as to prevent the
identification of income or any particulars contained in any
report or return.
  (d) Disclose a taxpayer's name, address, telephone number,
refund amount, amount due, Social Security number, employer
identification number or other taxpayer identification number to
the extent necessary in connection with collection activities or
the processing and mailing of correspondence or of forms for any
report, return or claim required in the administration of ORS
310.630 to 310.706, any local tax under ORS 305.620, or any law
imposing a tax upon or measured by net income.
  (2) The department also may disclose and give access to
information described in ORS 314.835 to:
  (a) The Governor of the State of Oregon or the authorized
representative of the Governor:
  (A) With respect to an individual who is designated as being
under consideration for appointment or reappointment to an office
or for employment in the office of the Governor. The information
disclosed shall be confined to whether the individual:
  (i) Has filed returns with respect to the taxes imposed by ORS
chapter 316 for those of not more than the three immediately
preceding years for which the individual was required to file an
Oregon individual income tax return.
 
 
 
Enrolled Senate Bill 173 (SB 173-INTRO)                    Page 1
 
 
 
  (ii) Has failed to pay any tax within 30 days from the date of
mailing of a deficiency notice or otherwise respond to a
deficiency notice within 30 days of its mailing.
  (iii) Has been assessed any penalty under the Oregon personal
income tax laws and the nature of the penalty.
  (iv) Has been or is under investigation for possible criminal
offenses under the Oregon personal income tax laws. Information
disclosed pursuant to this paragraph shall be used only for the
purpose of making the appointment, reappointment or decision to
employ or not to employ the individual in the office of the
Governor.
  (B) For use by an officer or employee of the Oregon Department
of Administrative Services duly authorized or employed to prepare
revenue estimates, or a person contracting with the Oregon
Department of Administrative Services to prepare revenue
estimates, in the preparation of revenue estimates required for
the Governor's budget under ORS 291.201 to 291.226, or required
for submission to the Emergency Board, or if the Legislative
Assembly is in session, to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means,
and to the Legislative Revenue Officer under ORS 291.342, 291.348
and 291.445. The Department of Revenue shall disclose and give
access to the information described in ORS 314.835 for the
purposes of this subparagraph only if:
  (i) The request for information is made in writing, specifies
the purposes for which the request is made and is signed by an
authorized representative of the Oregon Department of
Administrative Services. The form for request for information
shall be prescribed by the Oregon Department of Administrative
Services and approved by the Director of the Department of
Revenue.
  (ii) The officer, employee or person receiving the information
does not remove from the premises of the Department of Revenue
any materials that would reveal the identity of a personal or
corporate taxpayer.
  (b) The Commissioner of Internal Revenue or authorized
representative, for tax  { + administration and compliance + }
purposes only.
  (c)   { - The proper officer of any state or the District of
Columbia, or their authorized representatives, for tax purposes
only, if such state or district - }   { + For tax administration
and compliance purposes, the proper officer or authorized
representative of any of the following entities that + } has
 { + or is governed by + } a provision of law   { - which - }
 { +  that + } meets the requirements of any applicable provision
of the Internal Revenue Code as to confidentiality { + :
  (A) A state;
  (B) A city, county or other political subdivision of a state;
  (C) The District of Columbia; or
  (D) An association established exclusively to provide services
to federal, state or local taxing authorities + }.
  (d) The Multistate Tax Commission or its authorized
representatives, for tax  { + administration and compliance + }
purposes only.   { - However, - }  The Multistate Tax Commission
may make   { - such - }  { +  the + } information available to
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue or the proper officer
 { - of any state or the District of Columbia, or their
authorized representatives, for tax purposes only, if the state
or district has a provision of law which meets the requirements
of any applicable provision of the Internal Revenue Code as to
confidentiality - }  { +  or authorized representative of any
 
 
Enrolled Senate Bill 173 (SB 173-INTRO)                    Page 2
 
 
 
governmental entity described in and meeting the qualifications
of paragraph (c) of this subsection + }.
  (e) The Attorney General, assistants and employees in the
Department of Justice, or other legal representative of the State
of Oregon, to the extent the department deems disclosure or
access necessary for the performance of the duties of advising or
representing the department pursuant to ORS 180.010 to 180.240
and the tax laws of this state.
  (f) Employees of the State of Oregon, other than of the
Department of Revenue or Department of Justice, to the extent the
department deems disclosure or access necessary for such
employees to perform their duties under contracts or agreements
between the department and any other department, agency or
subdivision of the State of Oregon, in the department's
administration of the tax laws.
  (g) Other persons, partnerships, corporations and other legal
entities, and their employees, to the extent the department deems
disclosure or access necessary for the performance of such
others' duties under contracts or agreements between the
department and such legal entities, in the department's
administration of the tax laws.
  (h) The Legislative Revenue Officer or authorized
representatives upon compliance with ORS 173.850. Such officer or
representative shall not remove from the premises of the
department any materials that would reveal the identity of any
taxpayer or any other person.
  (i) The Department of Consumer and Business Services, to the
extent the department requires such information to determine
whether it is appropriate to adjust those workers' compensation
benefits the amount of which is based pursuant to ORS chapter 656
on the amount of wages or earned income received by an
individual.
  (j) Any agency of the State of Oregon, or any person, or any
officer or employee of such agency or person to whom disclosure
or access is given by state law and not otherwise referred to in
this section, including but not limited to the Secretary of State
as Auditor of Public Accounts under section 2, Article VI of the
Oregon Constitution; the Department of Human Services pursuant to
ORS 314.860 and 418.135; the Division of Child Support of the
Department of Justice and district attorney regarding cases for
which they are providing support enforcement services under ORS
25.080; the State Board of Tax Practitioners, pursuant to ORS
673.710; and the Oregon Board of Accountancy, pursuant to ORS
673.415.
  (k) The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business
Services to determine that a person complies with ORS chapter 656
and the Director of the Employment Department to determine that a
person complies with ORS chapter 657, the following employer
information:
  (A) Identification numbers.
  (B) Names and addresses.
  (C) Inception date as employer.
  (D) Nature of business.
  (E) Entity changes.
  (F) Date of last payroll.
  (L) The Director of Human Services to determine that a person
has the ability to pay for care that includes services provided
by the state institutions as described in ORS 179.321 or the
Department of Human Services or to collect any unpaid cost of
care as provided by ORS chapter 179.
 
 
Enrolled Senate Bill 173 (SB 173-INTRO)                    Page 3
 
 
 
  (m) Employees of the Employment Department to the extent the
Department of Revenue deems disclosure or access to information
on a combined tax report filed under ORS 316.168 is necessary to
performance of their duties in administering the tax imposed by
ORS chapter 657.
  (n) The State Fire Marshal to assist the State Fire Marshal in
carrying out duties, functions and powers under ORS 453.307 to
453.414, the employer or agent name, address, telephone number
and standard industrial classification, if available.
  (o) Employees of the Department of State Lands for the purposes
of identifying, locating and publishing lists of taxpayers
entitled to unclaimed refunds as required by the provisions of
chapter 694, Oregon Laws 1993. The information shall be limited
to the taxpayer's name, address and the refund amount.
  (p) In addition to the disclosure allowed under ORS 305.225,
state or local law enforcement agencies to assist in the
investigation or prosecution of the following criminal
activities:
  (A) Mail theft of a check, in which case the information that
may be disclosed shall be limited to the stolen document, the
name, address and taxpayer identification number of the payee,
the amount of the check and the date printed on the check.
  (B) The counterfeiting, forging or altering of a check
submitted by a taxpayer to the Department of Revenue or issued by
the Department of Revenue to a taxpayer, in which case the
information that may be disclosed shall be limited to the
counterfeit, forged or altered document, the name, address and
taxpayer identification number of the payee, the amount of the
check, the date printed on the check and the altered name and
address.
  (q) The United States Postal Inspection Service or a federal
law enforcement agency, including but not limited to the United
States Department of Justice, to assist in the investigation of
the following criminal activities:
  (A) Mail theft of a check, in which case the information that
may be disclosed shall be limited to the stolen document, the
name, address and taxpayer identification number of the payee,
the amount of the check and the date printed on the check.
  (B) The counterfeiting, forging or altering of a check
submitted by a taxpayer to the Department of Revenue or issued by
the Department of Revenue to a taxpayer, in which case the
information that may be disclosed shall be limited to the
counterfeit, forged or altered document, the name, address and
taxpayer identification number of the payee, the amount of the
check, the date printed on the check and the altered name and
address.
  (r) The United States Financial Management Service, for
purposes of facilitating the reciprocal offsets described in ORS
305.612.
  (s) A municipal corporation of this state for purposes of
assisting the municipal corporation in the administration of a
tax of the municipal corporation that is imposed on or measured
by income, wages or net earnings from self-employment. Any
disclosure under this paragraph may be made only pursuant to a
written agreement between the Department of Revenue and the
municipal corporation that ensures the confidentiality of the
information disclosed.
  (3)(a) Each officer or employee of the department and each
person described or referred to in subsection (2)(a), (e) to (k)
or (m) to (p) of this section to whom disclosure or access to the
 
 
Enrolled Senate Bill 173 (SB 173-INTRO)                    Page 4
 
 
 
tax information is given under subsection (2) of this section or
any other provision of state law, prior to beginning employment
or the performance of duties involving such disclosure or access,
shall be advised in writing of the provisions of ORS 314.835 and
314.991, relating to penalties for the violation of ORS 314.835,
and shall as a condition of employment or performance of duties
execute a certificate for the department, in a form prescribed by
the department, stating in substance that the person has read
these provisions of law, that the person has had them explained
and that the person is aware of the penalties for the violation
of ORS 314.835.
  (b) The disclosure authorized in subsection (2)(q) of this
section shall be made only after a written agreement has been
entered into between the Department of Revenue and the person
described in subsection (2)(q) of this section to whom disclosure
or access to the tax information is given, providing that:
  (A) Any information described in ORS 314.835 that is received
by the person pursuant to subsection (2)(q) of this section is
confidential information that may not be disclosed, except to the
extent necessary to investigate or prosecute the criminal
activities described in subsection (2)(q) of this section;
  (B) The information shall be protected as confidential under
applicable federal and state laws; and
  (C) The United States Postal Inspection Service or the federal
law enforcement agency shall give notice to the Department of
Revenue of any request received under the federal Freedom of
Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, or other federal law relating to
the disclosure of information.
  (4) The Department of Revenue may recover the costs of
furnishing the information described in subsection (2)(k), (L)
and (n) to (p) of this section from the respective agencies.
                         ----------
 
 
Passed by Senate February 21, 2007
 
 
      ...........................................................
                                              Secretary of Senate
 
      ...........................................................
                                              President of Senate
 
Passed by House May 25, 2007
 
 
      ...........................................................
                                                 Speaker of House
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enrolled Senate Bill 173 (SB 173-INTRO)                    Page 5
 
 
 
 
 
Received by Governor:
 
......M.,............., 2007
 
Approved:
 
......M.,............., 2007
 
 
      ...........................................................
                                                         Governor
 
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
 
......M.,............., 2007
 
 
      ...........................................................
                                               Secretary of State
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enrolled Senate Bill 173 (SB 173-INTRO)                    Page 6