(1) It shall be unlawful for the Department of Revenue or any of its officers or employees to divulge or make known in any manner any particulars disclosed in any return or supporting data required under this chapter. Except for executors or beneficiaries and their authorized representatives, it shall be unlawful for any person or entity who has acquired information pursuant to subsections (3) and (4) of this section to divulge or make known such information for any purpose other than that specified in the provisions of law authorizing the use or disclosure. No subpoena or judicial order shall be issued compelling the department, or its officers or employees, or persons described in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, to divulge or make known any particulars disclosed in any such return or supporting data except where the liability for estate taxes is to be adjudicated by the Oregon Tax Court. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of particulars in any return or supporting data covered by this section.

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Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 118.525

  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
  • Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.

(2) As used in this section:

(a) ‘Officer,’ ’employee’ or ‘person’ includes an authorized representative of the officer, employee or person, or former officer, employee or person, or an authorized representative of such former officer, employee or person.

(b) ‘Particulars’ includes, but is not limited to, a taxpayer’s name, address, telephone number, Social Security number and the amount of refund claimed by or granted to a taxpayer.

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the department may permit, for tax purposes only, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue or authorized representatives, or an officer or employee of any state or the District of Columbia which has a provision of law which meets the requirements of any applicable provision of the Internal Revenue Code as to confidentiality to inspect any return or supporting data referred to in subsection (1) of this section. The department may disclose to the executor or beneficiary of any estate, or an authorized representative thereof, any information or particulars otherwise made confidential by this section, if the department determines that the executor or beneficiary has a material interest which will be affected by such information or particulars.

(4) The department may disclose a taxpayer’s name, address, telephone number, Social Security number, refund amount or tax due to the extent necessary in connection with collection activities or the processing or mailing of returns, correspondence or forms with respect to the tax imposed under this chapter.

(5) The department also may disclose and give access to information described in subsection (1) of this section to those persons, agencies or entities, described in ORS § 314.840 (2)(f), (g), (h) and (i) to the extent authorized by said paragraphs; and to 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 and the officers and employees thereof, for the uses and purposes described in ORS § 297.060.

(6) Each officer or employee of the department and each person described or referred to in subsection (5) of this section to whom disclosure or access to tax information is given, prior to beginning employment or the performance of duties involving such disclosure or access, shall be advised in writing of the provisions of subsection (1) of this section and ORS § 118.990 (3), and shall as a condition of employment or performance of duties execute a certificate for 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 subsection (1) of this section. [1979 c.690 § 4; 1983 c.633 § 1; 1985 c.565 § 10d; 1987 c.158 § 18; 1987 c.646 § 6a; 1993 c.726 § 51; 2011 c.526 § 15; 2013 c.36 § 70]