42-2001. Definitions

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. " Confidential information" :

(a) Includes the following information whether it concerns individual taxpayers or is aggregate information for specifically identified taxpayers:

(i) Returns and reports filed with the department for income tax, withholding tax, transaction privilege tax, luxury tax, use tax, property tax and severance tax.

(ii) Applications for transaction privilege licenses, luxury tax licenses, use tax licenses and withholding licenses.

(iii) Information discovered concerning taxes and receipts by the department, whether or not by compulsory process.

(iv) Return information obtained from the United States internal revenue service and United States bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms.

(v) Information supplied at the special request of the department by a taxpayer that the taxpayer requests to be held in confidence.

(vi) Guidelines, standards or procedures that are established by the department for, or other information relating to, selecting returns or taxpayers for examination or settling or compromising any tax liability.

(vii) A taxpayer's identity, the nature, source or amount of the taxpayer's income, payments, receipts, deductions, exemptions, credits, assets, liabilities, net worth, tax liability, tax withheld, deficiencies, overassessments or tax payments, whether the taxpayer's return was, is being or will be examined or subject to investigation, collection or processing or any other data received by, recorded by, prepared by, furnished to or collected by the department with respect to a return or with respect to the termination, or possible existence, of liability of any person for any tax, penalty or interest imposed pursuant to this title or title 43.

(viii) Information supplied by an employee to an employer regarding the employee's election to have the employee's withholding tax reduced for the purposes of contributions to qualifying charitable organizations, qualified school tuition organizations or public schools pursuant to section 43-401, subsection G.

(b) Does not include information that is otherwise a public record.

2. " Report" includes a notice of insurance payments, a request for a release of a bank account and an inventory of a safe deposit box.

3. " Return" includes any form prescribed by the department and any supporting schedules, attachments and lists.

4. " Tax administration" includes assessment, collection, investigation, litigation, statistical gathering functions, enforcement, policy making functions or management of those functions of the tax revenue laws of this state.

5. " Tax official" means a nonelected employee or the nonelected employee's designee or agent who is responsible for tax administration.

6. " Taxpayer" , with respect to a joint return, means either party.