Disclosure of returns and return information (including taxpayer return information) to and by officers and employees of the Department of Justice for use in Federal grand jury proceeding, or in preparation for proceeding or investigation, involving tax administration.

# (a) Disclosure of returns and return information (including taxpayer return information) to and by officers and employees of the Department of Justice.

(1) Returns and return information (including taxpayer return information), as defined in section 6103(b) (1), (2), and (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, shall, to the extent provided by section 6103(h)(2) (A), (B), and (C) and subject to the requirements of section 6103(h)(3), be open to inspection by or disclosure to officers and employees of the Department of Justice (including United States attorneys) personally and directly engaged in, and for their necessary use in, any Federal grand jury proceeding, or preparation for any proceeding (or for their necessary use in an investigation which may result in such a proceeding) before a Federal grand jury or any Federal or State court, in a matter involving tax administration (as defined in section 6103(b)(4)), including any such proceeding (or any such investigation) also involving the enforcement of a related Federal criminal statute which has been referred by the Secretary to the Department of Justice.

(2) Returns and return information (including taxpayer return information) inspected by or disclosed to officers and employees of the Department of Justice as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section may also be used by such officers and employees or disclosed by them to other officers and employees (including United States attorneys and supervisory personnel, such as Section Chiefs, Deputy Assistant Attorneys General, Assistant Attorneys General, the Deputy Attorney General, and the Attorney General), of the Department of Justice where necessary—

(i) In connection with any Federal grand jury proceeding, or preparation for any proceeding (or with an investigation which may result in such a proceeding), described in paragraph (a)(1), or

(ii) In connection with any Federal grand jury proceeding, or preparation for any proceeding (or with an investigation which may result in such a proceeding), described in paragraph (a)(1) which also involves enforcement of a specific Federal criminal statute other than one described in paragraph (a)(1) to which the United States is or may be a party, provided such matter involves or arises out of the particular facts and circumstances giving rise to the proceeding (or investigation) described in paragraph (a)(1) and further provided the tax portion of such proceeding (or investigation) has been duly authorized by or on behalf of the Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice, pursuant to the request of the Secretary, as a proceeding (or investigation) described in paragraph (a)(1). If, in the course of a Federal grand jury proceeding, or preparation for a proceeding (or the conduct of an investigation which may result in such a proceeding), described in subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph, the tax administration portion thereof is terminated for any reason, any further use or disclosure of such returns or taxpayer return information in such Federal grand jury proceeding, or preparation or investigation, with respect to the remaining portion may be made only pursuant to, and upon the grant of, a court order as provided by section 6103(i)(1)(A), provided, however, that the returns and taxpayer return information may in any event be used for purposes of obtaining the necessary court order.

# (b) Disclosure of returns and return information (including taxpayer return information) by officers and employees of the Department of Justice.

(1) Returns and return information (including taxpayer return information), as defined in section 6103(b) (1), (2), and (3) of the Code, inspected by or disclosed to officers and employees of the Department of Justice as provided by paragraph (a) of this section may be disclosed by such officers and employees to other persons, including, but not limited to, persons described in paragraph (b)(2), but only to the extent necessary in connection with a Federal grand jury proceeding, or the proper preparation for a proceeding (or in connection with an investigation which may result in such a proceeding), described in paragraph (a). Such disclosures may include, but are not limited to, disclosures—

(i) To properly accomplish any purpose or activity of the nature described in section 6103(k)(6) and the regulations thereunder which is essential to such Federal grand jury proceeding, or to such proper preparation (or to such investigation);

(ii) To properly interview, consult, depose, or interrogate or otherwise obtain relevant information from, the taxpayer to whom such return or return information relates (or such taxpayer's legal representative) or from any witness who may be called to give evidence in the proceeding; or

(iii) To properly conduct negotiations concerning, or obtain authorization for, settlement or disposition of the proceeding, in whole or in part, or stipulations of fact in connection with the proceeding.

Disclosure of a return or return information to a person other than the taxpayer to whom such return or return information relates or such taxpayer's legal representative to properly accomplish any purpose or activity described in this paragraph should be made, however, only if such purpose or activity cannot otherwise properly be accomplished without making such disclosure.

(2) Among those persons to whom returns and return information may be disclosed by officers and employees of the Department of Justice as provided by paragraph (a)(1) of this section are—

(i) Other officers and employees of the Department of Justice, such as personnel of an office, board, division, or bureau of such department (for example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Drug Enforcement Administration), clerical personnel (for example, secretaries, stenographers, docket and file room clerks, and mail room employees) and supervisory personnel (such as supervisory personnel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Drug Enforcement Administration);

(ii) Officers and employees of another Federal agency (as defined in section 6103(b)(9)) working under the direction and control of any such officers and employees of the Department of Justice; and

(iii) Court reporters.

[T.D. 7723, 45 FR 65567, Oct. 3, 1980]