Section 499 - Returns to be secret(a) Except in accordance with a proper judicial order or as otherwise provided for by law, it shall be unlawful for the commissioner, any officer or employee of the department, or any person engaged or retained by such department on an independent contract basis or any other person who in any manner may acquire knowledge of the contents of a return or report filed pursuant to this article to divulge or make known in any manner the contents or any other information relating to the business of a registrant contained in any return or report required under this article. The officers charged with the custody of such returns or reports shall not be required to produce any of them or evidence of anything contained in them in any action or proceeding in any court, except on behalf of the state, the state department of health, the state department of education or the commissioner in an action or proceeding under the provisions of this chapter or on behalf of the state or the commissioner in any other action or proceeding involving the collection of a tax due under this chapter to which the state or the commissioner is a party or a claimant or on behalf of any party to any action or proceeding under the provisions of this article, when the returns or the reports or the facts shown thereby are directly involved in such action or proceeding, in any of which events the court may require the production of, and may admit in evidence so much of said returns or reports or of the facts shown thereby as are pertinent to the action or proceeding and no more. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the commissioner, in his or her discretion, from allowing the inspection or delivery of a certified copy of any return or report filed under this article, or from providing any information contained in any such return or report, by or to a duly authorized officer or employee of the state department of health or the state department of education; nor to prohibit the inspection or delivery of a certified copy of any return or report filed under this article, or the provision of any information contained therein, by or to the attorney general or other legal representatives of the state when an action shall have been recommended or commenced pursuant to this chapter in which such returns or reports or the facts shown thereby are directly involved; nor to prohibit the commissioner from providing or certifying to the division of budget or the comptroller the total number of returns or reports filed under this article in any reporting period and the total collections received therefrom; nor to prohibit the inspection of the returns or reports required under this article by the comptroller or duly designated officer or employee of the state department of audit and control, for purposes of the audit of a refund of any tax paid by a registrant or other person under this article; nor to prohibit the delivery to a registrant, or a duly authorized representative of such registrant, a certified copy of any return or report filed by such registrant pursuant to this article, nor to prohibit the publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of particular returns or reports and the items thereof. (a-1) Cooperation with investigations by certain committees of the United States Congress. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (a) of this section, upon written request from the chairperson of the committee on ways and means of the United States House of Representatives, the chairperson of the committee on finance of the United States Senate, or the chairperson of the joint committee on taxation of the United States Congress, the commissioner shall furnish such committee with any current or prior year returns or reports specified in such request that were filed under this article by the president of the United States, vice-president of the United States, member of the United States Congress representing New York state, or any person who served in or was employed by the executive branch of the government of the United States on the executive staff of the president, in the executive office of the president, or in an acting or confirmed capacity in a position subject to confirmation by the United States senate; or, in New York state: a statewide elected official, as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section seventy-three-a of the public officers law; a state officer or employee, as defined in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (c) of subdivision one of such section seventy-three- a; a political party chairperson, as defined in paragraph (h) of subdivision one of such section seventy-three- a; a local elected official, as defined in subdivisions one and two of section eight hundred ten of the general municipal law; a person appointed, pursuant to law, to serve due to vacancy or otherwise in the position of a local elected official, as defined in subdivisions one and two of section eight hundred ten of the general municipal law; a member of the state legislature; or a judge or justice of the unified court system, or filed by a partnership, firm, association, corporation, joint-stock company, trust or similar entity directly or indirectly controlled by any individual listed in this paragraph, whether by contract, through ownership or control of a majority interest in such entity, or otherwise, or filed by a partnership, firm, association, corporation, joint-stock company, trust or similar entity of which any individual listed in this paragraph holds ten percent or more of the voting securities of such entity; provided however that, prior to furnishing any return or report, the commissioner shall redact any copy of a federal return (or portion thereof) attached to, or any information on a federal return that is reflected on, such return or report, and any social security numbers, account numbers and residential address information. (2) No returns or reports shall be furnished pursuant to this subdivision unless the chairperson of the requesting committee certifies in writing that such returns or reports have been requested related to, and in furtherance of, a legitimate task of the Congress, that the requesting committee has made a written request to the United States secretary of the treasury for related federal reports or returns or report or return information, pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Section 6103 (f), and that if such requested returns or reports are inspected by and/or submitted to another committee, to the United States House of Representatives, or to the United States Senate, then such inspection and/or submission shall occur in a manner consistent with federal law as informed by the requirements and procedures established in 26 U.S.C. Section 6103 (f). (b)(1)Any officer or employee of the state who willfully violates the provisions of subdivision (a) of this section shall be dismissed from office and be incapable of holding any public office in this state for a period of five years thereafter.(2) Cross-reference: For criminal penalties, see article thirty-seven of this chapter.Amended by New York Laws 2019, ch. 92,Sec. 7, eff. 7/1/2019.Amended by New York Laws 2019, ch. 91,Sec. 8, eff. 7/1/2019.Added by New York Laws 2019, ch. 59,Sec. XX-1, eff. 7/1/2019.