Maine § 36 §191 Confidentiality of tax records

Maine Statutes

§ 36 §191 — Confidentiality of tax records

Maine § 36 §191

Title 36TAXATION

Part 1GENERAL PROVISIONS

Ch. 7UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

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Bluebook

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 36, § 36 §191 (2026).

Text

1.Basic prohibition. It is unlawful for any public official or any employee or agent of the bureau to inspect willfully any return or examine information contained on any return, for any purpose other than the conduct of official duties. Except as otherwise provided by law, it is unlawful for any person who, pursuant to this Title, has been permitted to receive or view any portion of the original or a copy of any report, return or other information provided pursuant to this Title to divulge or make known in any manner any information set forth in any of those documents or obtained from examination or inspection under this Title of the premises or property of any taxpayer. This prohibition applies to both state tax information and federal tax information filed as part of a state tax return

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1.
Basic prohibition.
It is unlawful for any public official or any employee or agent of the bureau to inspect willfully any return or examine information contained on any return, for any purpose other than the conduct of official duties. Except as otherwise provided by law, it is unlawful for any person who, pursuant to this Title, has been permitted to receive or view any portion of the original or a copy of any report, return or other information provided pursuant to this Title to divulge or make known in any manner any information set forth in any of those documents or obtained from examination or inspection under this Title of the premises or property of any taxpayer. This prohibition applies to both state tax information and federal tax information filed as part of a state tax return.
2.
Exemptions.
This section may not be construed to prohibit the following:
3.
Additional restrictions for information provided by Internal Revenue Service.
Federal returns and federal return information provided to the State by the Internal Revenue Service may not be disclosed to other states, districts and territories of the United States or provinces of Canada, to legislative committees or the agents of the committees or to the Attorney General for the purpose of criminal investigations and prosecutions unrelated to this Title. These restrictions are in addition to those imposed by subsection 1.
3-A.
Additional restrictions for proprietary information provided to assessor.
Information and materials provided in confidence to the assessor and used by the bureau for the purpose of preparing legislation or legislative analysis, including the preparation of fiscal estimates for the Office of Fiscal and Program Review, are to be accorded the same confidentiality as established by this section for tax information.
3-B.
Additional restrictions for certain information provided by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
Information provided to the assessor by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services pursuant to section 175 and Title 22, section 2425‑A, subsection 14, paragraph G may be used by the bureau only for the administration and enforcement of taxes imposed under this Title. These restrictions are in addition to those imposed by subsection 1.
4.
Penalties.
A person who willfully violates this section commits a Class E crime. An offender who is an officer or employee of the State must be dismissed from office.

Legislative History

PL 1977, c. 668, §2 (NEW). PL 1979, c. 127, §193 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 364, §18 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 504, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1981, c. 698, §176 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 764, §§3-5 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 19, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 43 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 201, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 402, §§B22-B27 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 497, §§7-9 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 769, §§A145-A149 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 546, §7 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 820, §§5-7 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 837, §B18 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 395, §7 (AMD). RR 1995, c. 2, §§89-92 (COR). PL 1995, c. 178, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 368, §§W6-8 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 395, §§S1-3 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 419, §§30-33 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 625, §§A46-49 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 639, §6 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 657, §8 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 657, §10 (AFF). PL 1995, c. 694, §D61 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 694, §E2 (AFF). PL 1997, c. 504, §4 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 526, §14 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 537, §60 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF). PL 1997, c. 668, §17 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 703, §§2-4 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 414, §§11-13 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 708, §§14-17 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 23, §1 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 293, §6 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 396, §11 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 439, §§L6-8 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 691, §3 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 691, §6 (AFF). PL 2001, c. 714, §CC2 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 714, §CC8 (AFF). RR 2003, c. 2, §114 (COR). PL 2003, c. 390, §§1-5 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 390, §55 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 668, §§9,10 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 668, §12 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 673, §DD2 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 689, §B6 (REV). PL 2003, c. 705, §3 (AMD). RR 2005, c. 1, §§18,19 (COR). PL 2005, c. 332, §§6-9 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 395, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 396, §§5-7 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 683, §§A60-64 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 328, §§2-4 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 352, Pt. A, §4 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 438, §10 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. M, §§2-4 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. OO, §§5-7 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 693, §§7-9 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 694, §§1-3 (AMD). RR 2009, c. 2, §§105-108 (COR). PL 2009, c. 340, §27 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 361, §§11-17 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 434, §§11, 12 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 470, §4 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 496, §§6, 7 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 568, §2 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 592, §2 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 637, §13 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 652, Pt. A, §§50-52 (AMD). RR 2011, c. 1, §§49-53 (COR). PL 2011, c. 211, §§19-21 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 240, §§2, 3 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 253, §37 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 331, §§9-11 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 331, §§16, 17 (AFF). PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. Q, §§2-4 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. Q, §7 (AFF). PL 2011, c. 439, §§5-8 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 439, §12 (AFF). PL 2011, c. 548, §§11, 12 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 644, §§5-7 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. I, §9 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. I, §11 (AFF). PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5 (REV). PL 2011, c. 682, §38 (REV). PL 2011, c. 694, §§7-10 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 10, §1 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 25, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 67, §1 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 331, Pt. B, §§3-5 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 424, Pt. A, §23 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 595, Pt. J, §2 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 595, Pt. J, §4 (AFF). PL 2015, c. 166, §12 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 300, Pt. A, §§5-7 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 313, §4 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 344, §§6, 7 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 490, §§2-4 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 494, Pt. A, §§41-43 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 170, Pt. A, §1 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 211, Pt. A, §§7-9 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. UUUU, §16 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 288, Pt. B, §§5, 6 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 297, §1 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 361, §1 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 375, Pt. D, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 375, Pt. G, §1 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 452, §29 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 475, Pt. A, §60 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 475, Pt. B, §2 (AMD). RR 2017, c. 2, §15 (COR). PL 2019, c. 379, Pt. C, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 386, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 401, Pt. B, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 401, Pt. C, §4 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 401, Pt. E, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 498, §25 (AMD). RR 2019, c. 1, Pt. A, §56 (COR). PL 2019, c. 555, §4 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 607, Pt. C, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 628, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 659, Pt. A, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 659, Pt. D, §7 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 1, Pt. M, §12 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 253, Pt. A, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 473, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 482, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 485, §3 (AFF). RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. A, §§41, 42 (COR). PL 2021, c. 531, Pt. A, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 681, Pt. E, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 681, Pt. E, §3 (AFF). PL 2021, c. 715, §3 (AMD). RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. A, §125 (COR). PL 2023, c. 360, Pt. A, §§1-3 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 360, Pt. C, §§2, 3 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. J, §7 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. XXX, §2 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. XXX, §15 (AFF). PL 2023, c. 441, Pt. F, §1 (AMD). RR 2023, c. 1, Pt. A, §29 (COR). PL 2023, c. 516, Pt. B, §53 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 558, §11 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 637, §6 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 667, §1 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 2, Pt. RR, §3 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 167, §48 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 388, Pt. G, §3 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 388, Pt. G, §48 (AFF). PL 2025, c. 470, Pt. D, §1 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 470, Pt. D, §6 (AFF).