2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 47 - Taxation, Licensing, Permits, Assessments, and Fees. [Enacted title] › Chapter 18 - Income and Franchise Taxes › Subchapter V - Returns › § 47–1805.04. Returns — Divulgence of information

§ 47–1805.04. Returns — Divulgence of information.
(a) Information not to be disclosed. — Except to any official of the District, having a right thereto in his official capacity, it shall be unlawful for any officer or employee, or any former officer or employee, of the District to divulge or make known in any manner the amount of income or any particulars relating thereto or the computation thereof set forth or disclosed in any return required to be filed under § 47-1805.01 or information pertaining to the interception of any tax refund pursuant to the provisions of the Project Setoff Liability Act of 1982, and neither the original nor a copy of any such return desired for use in litigation in court shall be furnished where neither the District nor the United States is interested in the result of such litigation, whether or not the request is contained in an order of the court; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent the furnishing to a taxpayer of a copy of his return upon the payment of a fee of $3.50. The provisions of this subsection shall also be applicable to any federal, state, or local income tax returns or copies thereof and to any other federal, state, or local income tax information either submitted by the taxpayer or otherwise obtained; provided, further, that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent public inspection of the application and its related financial documents of an organization that has been granted exemption from taxation under this chapter. Any inspection permitted under this subsection shall be made at such time and in such manner as the Mayor may prescribe.
(b) Reciprocal exchange with the United States and the several states. — Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the Mayor may permit the proper officer of the United States or of any state imposing an income tax or his authorized representative to inspect income tax returns filed with the Mayor or may furnish to such officer or representative a copy of any such income tax returns provided the United States or such state grant substantially similar privileges to the Mayor or his representative or to the proper officer of the District charged with the administration of this subchapter. The Internal Revenue Service of the Treasury Department of the United States is authorized and required to supply such information as may be requested by the Mayor relative to any person subject to the taxes imposed by this chapter.
(c) Publication of statistics and delinquent lists. — Nothing contained in subsection (a) of this section shall be construed to prohibit the publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of particular reports and the items thereof, or the publication of delinquent lists showing the names of taxpayers who have failed to pay their taxes at the time and in the manner provided by law, together with any relevant information which in the opinion of the Mayor may assist in the collection of such delinquent taxes.
(d) Information which may be disclosed. — Nothing contained in subsection (a) of this section shall be construed to prohibit the Mayor, in his discretion, from divulging or making known any information contained in, or relating to, any report, application, license, or return required under the provisions of this chapter other than such information as may be contained therein relating to the amount of income or any particulars relating thereto or the computation thereof.
(e) Violations. — Any violation of the provisions of this section shall be a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01], by imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both, in the discretion of the court. All prosecutions under this section shall be brought in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on information by the Attorney General for the District of Columbia or any of his assistants in the name of the District of Columbia.
(f) Preservation of reports, applications, and returns. — All reports, applications, and returns received by the Mayor under the provisions of this chapter shall be preserved for 6 years, and thereafter until the Mayor orders them to be destroyed.
(g) Disclosure to contractor. — Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any tax returns or other tax information required by this chapter may be disclosed to a contractor to the extent necessary to provide for the processing, storage, transmission, or reproduction of such returns and information or for the programing, maintenance, repair, testing, and procurement of equipment for purposes of tax administration. The provisions of subsections (a) and (e) of this section shall be applicable to all such contractors and former contractors and to their officers and employees and former officers and employees.
(h) Disclosure to state agency requesting offset. — Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the social security account number and the home address of a taxpayer whose tax refund has been intercepted under § 47-1812.11 [repealed] and this section, shall be disclosed upon the request of the state agency requesting the offset and of the District of Columbia agency under Part D in Subchapter IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.).
(i) Disclosure for paternity and support purposes. — Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Mayor shall disclose, upon written or automated request, tax return or other related tax and revenue information to the agency that is responsible for administering or supervising the administration of the District’s State Plan under title IV, part D, of the Social Security Act, approved January 4, 1975 (88 Stat. 2351; 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.), or the equivalent agency in another state. The Mayor shall only disclose a tax return or other related tax and revenue information that pertains to a support obligor or obligee, a person seeking a paternity, or support order, or a person against whom a paternity or support order is being sought. Tax return information that the Mayor obtains pursuant to a reciprocal exchange with a federal or state taxing authority shall be disclosed only with the consent of the taxing authority, to the extent that consent is required by federal law or the state law governing the taxing authority. Information shall be disclosed pursuant to this subsection only for purposes directly related to paternity establishment, or the establishment, modification, or enforcement of support order. For the purposes of this subsection, the term “support order” pertains to any obligation governed by § 46-201(15B) [now § 46-201(20)].
(j) Disclosure to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. — Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Office of Tax and Revenue may furnish in accordance with § 11-1905 to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, upon request of the Court, the names, addresses, and social security numbers of individuals who have filed a return under § 47-1805.02(a) [§ 47-1805.02(1)].
(k) Disclosure to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. — Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Office of Tax Revenue may furnish to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, upon request of the court and in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1863(d), the names, addresses, and social security numbers of individuals who have filed a return under § 47-1805.02(a).
(July 16, 1947, 61 Stat. 342, ch. 258, art. I, title V, § 4; July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 570, Pub. L. 91-358, title I, § 155(a); Mar. 16, 1978, D.C. Law 2-57, § 3, 24 DCR 5426; Mar. 6, 1979, D.C. Law 2-158, §§ 2, 4, 25 DCR 7002; June 11, 1982, D.C. Law 4-118, § 108, 29 DCR 1770; Sept. 18, 1982, D.C. Law 4-154, § 3, 29 DCR 3486; Feb. 24, 1987, D.C. Law 6-166, § 33(g)(2), 33 DCR 6710; enacted, Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-254, § 2, 44 DCR 1575; Apr. 3, 2001, D.C. Law 13-269, § 112(a), 48 DCR 1270; Dec. 9, 2003, D.C. Law 15-50, § 2(a), 50 DCR 8980; Apr. 13, 2005, D.C. Law 15-354, § 73(f), 52 DCR 2638; Mar. 2, 2007, D.C. Law 16-191, § 48(h)(2), 53 DCR 6794; July 7, 2009, D.C. Law 18-9, § 2, 56 DCR 3797; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 286(h), 60 DCR 2064.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 47-1805.4.
1973 Ed., § 47-1564c.
Section References
This section is referenced in § 47-820.01, § 47-903, and § 47-1812.08.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 13-269 added subsec. (i).
D.C. Law 15-50 added subsec. (j).
D.C. Law 15-354 substituted “Attorney General for the District of Columbia” for “Corporation Counsel”.
D.C. Law 16-191, in subsec. (e), validated a previously made technical correction.
D.C. Law 18-9 added subsec. (k).
The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “of not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01]” for “not exceeding $1,000” in (e).
Cross References
Real property tax, calculation of assessed value of real property, confidentiality of owner disclosures, see § 47-821.
Real property tax, calculation of assessed value of real property, cooperative housing associations, confidentiality of owner disclosures, see § 47-820.01.
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 day) addition of section, see § 112(a) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-5, February 13, 2001, 48 DCR 2440).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(a) of Superior Court of the District of Columbia Master Jury List Project Clarification Emergency Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-111, July 29, 2003, 50 DCR 6571).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(a) of Superior Court of the District of Columbia Master Jury List Project Clarification Legislative Review Emergency Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-201, October 24, 2003, 50 DCR 9831).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2 of Disclosure to the United States District Court Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-6, January 29, 2009, 56 DCR 1631).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 286(h) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).
Temporary Legislation
Section 2 of D.C. Law 18-1 added subsec. (k) to read as follows: “(k) Disclosure to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. — Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Office of Tax Revenue may furnish, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1863(d), to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (”Court“), upon request of the Court, the names, addresses, and social security numbers of individuals who have filed a return under § 47-1805.02(a).”.
Section 4(b) of D.C. Law 18-1 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.
References in Text
The Bureau of Internal Revenue, originally referred to in the second sentence in subsection (b) of this section, was replaced by the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to Treasury Department Order 150-29.
The “Project Setoff Liability Act of 1982,” referred to in the first sentence of subsection (a) of this section, is D.C. Law 4-154, codified as this section and § 47-1812.11.
Editor's Notes
Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.