§11-10-5s Disclosure of certain taxpayer information.
§11-10-5s. Disclosure of certain taxpayer information.
(a) Purpose. -- The Legislature hereby recognizes the importance of confidentiality of taxpayer information as a protection of taxpayers' privacy rights and to enhance voluntary compliance with the tax law. The Legislature also recognizes the citizens' right to accountable and efficient state government. To accomplish these ends, the Legislature hereby creates certain exceptions to the general principle of confidentiality of taxpayer information.
(b) Exceptions to confidentiality. --
(1) Notwithstanding any provision in this code to the contrary, the Tax Commissioner shall publish in the State Register the name and address of every taxpayer and the amount, by category, of any credit asserted on a tax return under articles thirteen-c, thirteen-d, thirteen-e, thirteen-f, thirteen-g, thirteen-q, thirteen-r and thirteen-s of this chapter and article one, chapter five-e of this code. The categories by dollar amount of credit received shall be as follows:
(A) More than one dollar, but not more than fifty thousand dollars;
(B) More than fifty thousand dollars, but not more than one hundred thousand dollars;
(C) More than one hundred thousand dollars, but not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars;
(D) More than two hundred fifty thousand dollars, but not more than five hundred thousand dollars;
(E) More than five hundred thousand dollars, but not more than one million dollars; and
(F) More than one million dollars.
(2) Notwithstanding any provision in this code to the contrary, the Tax Commissioner shall publish in the State Register the following information regarding any compromise of a pending civil tax case that occurs on or after the effective date of this section in which the Tax Commissioner is required to seek the written recommendation of the Attorney General and the Attorney General has not recommended acceptance of the compromise or when the Tax Commissioner compromises any civil tax case for an amount that is more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars less than the assessment of tax owed made by the Tax Commissioner:
(A) The names and addresses of taxpayers that are parties to the compromise;
(B) A summary of the compromise;
(C) Any written advice or recommendation rendered by the Attorney General regarding the compromise; and
(D) Any written advice or recommendation rendered by the Tax Commissioner's staff.
Under no circumstances may the tax return of the taxpayer or any other information which would otherwise be confidential under any other provisions of law be disclosed pursuant to the provisions of this subsection.
(3) Notwithstanding any provision in this code to the contrary, the Tax Commissioner may disclose any relevant return information to the prosecuting attorney for the county in which venue lies for a criminal tax offense when there is reasonable cause, based upon and substantiated by the return information, to believe that a criminal tax law has been or is being violated.
(4) Notwithstanding any provision in this code to the contrary, the Tax Commissioner may enter into written exchange of information agreements with the commissioners of Labor, Employment Security, Alcohol Beverage Control and Workers' Compensation to disclose and receive timely return information: Provided, That the Tax Commissioner may promulgate rules pursuant to chapter twenty-nine-a of this code regarding further agencies with which written exchange of information agreements may be sought: Provided, however, That the Tax Commissioner may not promulgate emergency rules regarding further agencies with which written exchange of information agreements may be sought. The agreements shall be published in the State Register and shall only be for the purpose of facilitating premium collection, tax collection and facilitating licensure requirements directly enforced, administered or collected by the respective agencies. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to preclude or limit disclosure of tax information authorized by other provisions of this code. Any confidential return information so disclosed shall remain confidential in the hands of the other division to the extent provided by section five-d of this article and by other applicable federal or state laws.
(5) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, the Tax Commissioner may enter into a written agreement with the State Treasurer to disclose to the State Treasurer the following business registration information:
(A) The names, addresses and federal employer identification numbers of businesses which have registered to do business in West Virginia; and
(B) The type of business activity and organization of those businesses. Disclosure of this information shall begin as soon as practicable after the effective date of this subsection and may be used only for the purpose of recovery and disposition of unclaimed property in accordance with the provisions of article eight, chapter thirty-six of this code. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to preclude or limit disclosure of tax information authorized by other provisions of this code. Any confidential return information disclosed hereunder or thereunder shall otherwise remain confidential to the extent provided by section five-d of this article and by other applicable federal or state laws.
(c) Tax expenditure reports. -- Beginning on the fifteenth day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, and every fifteenth day of January thereafter, the Governor shall submit to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates a tax expenditure report. This report shall expressly identify all tax expenditures. Within three-year cycles, the reports shall be considered together to analyze all tax expenditures by describing the annual revenue loss and benefits of the tax expenditure based upon information available to the Tax Commissioner. For purposes of this section, the term "tax expenditure" shall mean a provision in the tax laws administered under this article, including, but not limited to, exclusions, deductions, tax preferences, credits and deferrals designed to encourage certain kinds of activities or to aid taxpayers in special circumstances: Provided, That the Tax Commissioner shall promulgate rules setting forth the procedure by which he or she will compile the reports and setting forth a priority for the order in which the reports will be compiled according to type of tax expenditure.
(d) Federal and state return information confidential. -- Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section or of this code, no return information made available to the Tax Commissioner by the Internal Revenue Service or department or agency of any other state may be disclosed to another person in any manner inconsistent with the provisions of Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or of the other states' confidentiality laws.