To amend sections 5703.21, 5715.49, and 5715.50 and to enact section 5703.212 of the Revised Code to authorize vendors and others required to hold a sales or use tax license whose business and home address is the same to apply to the Tax Commissioner to keep such address confidential.

Section 1. That sections 5703.21, 5715.49, and 5715.50 be amended and section 5703.212 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 5703.21.  (A) Except as provided in divisions (B) and (C) of this section, no agent of the department of taxation, except in the agent's report to the department or when called on to testify in any court or proceeding, shall divulge any information acquired by the agent as to the transactions, property, or business of any person while acting or claiming to act under orders of the department. Whoever violates this provision shall thereafter be disqualified from acting as an officer or employee or in any other capacity under appointment or employment of the department.

(B)(1) For purposes of an audit pursuant to section 117.15 of the Revised Code, or an audit of the department pursuant to Chapter 117. of the Revised Code, or an audit, pursuant to that chapter, the objective of which is to express an opinion on a financial report or statement prepared or issued pursuant to division (A)(7) or (9) of section 126.21 of the Revised Code, the officers and employees of the auditor of state charged with conducting the audit shall have access to and the right to examine any state tax returns and state tax return information in the possession of the department to the extent that the access and examination are necessary for purposes of the audit. Any information acquired as the result of that access and examination shall not be divulged for any purpose other than as required for the audit or unless the officers and employees are required to testify in a court or proceeding under compulsion of legal process. Whoever violates this provision shall thereafter be disqualified from acting as an officer or employee or in any other capacity under appointment or employment of the auditor of state.

(2) For purposes of an internal audit pursuant to section 126.45 of the Revised Code, the officers and employees of the office of internal auditing in the office of budget and management charged with conducting the internal audit shall have access to and the right to examine any state tax returns and state tax return information in the possession of the department to the extent that the access and examination are necessary for purposes of the internal audit. Any information acquired as the result of that access and examination shall not be divulged for any purpose other than as required for the internal audit or unless the officers and employees are required to testify in a court or proceeding under compulsion of legal process. Whoever violates this provision shall thereafter be disqualified from acting as an officer or employee or in any other capacity under appointment or employment of the office of internal auditing.

(3) As provided by section 6103(d)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, any federal tax returns or federal tax information that the department has acquired from the internal revenue service, through federal and state statutory authority, may be disclosed to the auditor of state or the office of internal auditing solely for purposes of an audit of the department.

(4) For purposes of Chapter 3739. of the Revised Code, an agent of the department of taxation may share information with the division of state fire marshal that the agent finds during the course of an investigation.

(C) Division (A) of this section does not prohibit any of the following:

(1) Divulging information contained in applications, complaints, and related documents filed with the department under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code or in applications filed with the department under section 5715.39 of the Revised Code;

(2) Providing information to the office of child support within the department of job and family services pursuant to section 3125.43 of the Revised Code;

(3) Disclosing to the motor vehicle repair board any information in the possession of the department that is necessary for the board to verify the existence of an applicant's valid vendor's license and current state tax identification number under section 4775.07 of the Revised Code;

(4) Providing information to the administrator of workers' compensation pursuant to sections 4123.271 and 4123.591 of the Revised Code;

(5) Providing to the attorney general information the department obtains under division (J) of section 1346.01 of the Revised Code;

(6) Permitting properly authorized officers, employees, or agents of a municipal corporation from inspecting reports or information pursuant to rules adopted under section 5745.16 of the Revised Code;

(7) Providing Unless otherwise provided by section 5703.212 of the Revised Code, providing information regarding the name, account number, or business address of a holder of a vendor's license issued pursuant to section 5739.17 of the Revised Code, a holder of a direct payment permit issued pursuant to section 5739.031 of the Revised Code, or a seller having a use tax account maintained pursuant to section 5741.17 of the Revised Code, or information regarding the active or inactive status of a vendor's license, direct payment permit, or seller's use tax account;

(8) Releasing invoices or invoice information furnished under section 4301.433 of the Revised Code pursuant to that section;

(9) Providing to a county auditor notices or documents concerning or affecting the taxable value of property in the county auditor's county. Unless authorized by law to disclose documents so provided, the county auditor shall not disclose such documents;

(10) Providing to a county auditor sales or use tax return or audit information under section 333.06 of the Revised Code;

(11) Subject to section 4301.441 of the Revised Code, disclosing to the appropriate state agency information in the possession of the department of taxation that is necessary to verify a permit holder's gallonage or noncompliance with taxes levied under Chapter 4301. or 4305. of the Revised Code;

(12) Disclosing to the department of natural resources information in the possession of the department that is necessary to verify the taxpayer's compliance with division (A)(1), (5), (6), (8), or (9) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code and information received pursuant to section 1509.50 of the Revised Code concerning the amount due under that section;

(13) Disclosing to the department of job and family services, industrial commission, and bureau of workers' compensation information in the possession of the department of taxation solely for the purpose of identifying employers that misclassify employees as independent contractors or that fail to properly report and pay employer tax liabilities. The department of taxation shall disclose only such information that is necessary to verify employer compliance with law administered by those agencies.

(14) Disclosing to the Ohio casino control commission information in the possession of the department of taxation that is necessary to verify a casino operator's compliance with section 5747.063 or 5753.02 of the Revised Code and sections related thereto;

(15) Disclosing to the state lottery commission information in the possession of the department of taxation that is necessary to verify a lottery sales agent's compliance with section 5747.064 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5703.212. The holder of a vendor's license issued pursuant to section 5739.17 of the Revised Code, the holder of a direct payment permit issued pursuant to section 5739.031 of the Revised Code, or a seller having a use tax account maintained pursuant to section 5741.17 of the Revised Code may apply to the tax commissioner to keep confidential the business address associated with the license, permit, or account if the address is the same as the address of the primary residence of the license holder, permit holder, account holder, or any owner or shareholder thereof. Within thirty days after receiving an application, the commissioner shall review the application and make a determination of whether the applicant meets the criteria prescribed by this section.

If the commissioner determines that the applicant meets the criteria prescribed by this section, the exclusions respecting the divulgence of information under division (B)(7) of section 5703.21, division (B) of section 5715.49, and division (B)(2) of section 5715.50 of the Revised Code, shall not apply to the business address of the applicant.

Sec. 5715.49.  (A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, no former or present county auditor or member of a county board of revision shall divulge, except in the performance of official duties or upon the order of the department of taxation, or when called upon to testify in any court or proceeding, any information acquired in the exercise of the powers vested by the laws relating to taxation, or while claiming to exercise any such powers, as to the transactions, property, or business of any person, company, firm, corporation, association, or partnership. Whoever violates this section shall thereafter be disqualified from acting in any official capacity in connection with the assessment or collection of taxes or recoupment charges.

(B) Division (A) of this section does not prohibit a county auditor from divulging the name and business address of a vendor, a vendor's license number, or information regarding the active or inactive status of a vendor's license issued by the county auditor pursuant to section 5739.17 of the Revised Code unless otherwise provided by section 5703.212 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5715.50.  (A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, no former or present expert, clerk, or employee of a county auditor, county board of revision, or the tax commissioner, and no former or present deputy, assistant, or agent of the tax commissioner shall divulge, except in the performance of official duties or in any report to the county auditor, the county board of revision, or the tax commissioner, or when called upon to testify in any court or proceeding, any information acquired in the exercise of the powers vested therein by any law, or while claiming to exercise such powers, as to the transactions, property, or business of any person, company, firm, corporation, association, or partnership. Whoever violates this section shall thereafter be disqualified from acting in any official capacity in connection with the assessment or collection of taxes or recoupment charges.

(B) Division (A) of this section does not prohibit the divulgence of:

(1) The name and address of the statutory agent in this state and the names of officers and directors of any corporation;

(2) The Unless otherwise provided by section 5703.212 of the Revised Code, the name and business address of a vendor, vendor's license number, or information regarding the active or inactive status of a vendor's license issued by the county auditor pursuant to section 5739.17 of the Revised Code.

Section 2.  That existing sections 5703.21, 5715.49, and 5715.50 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.