Confidentiality

54:50-8. a. The records and files of the director respecting the administration of the State Uniform Tax Procedure Law or of any State tax law, or respecting the administration of the Stay NJ property tax credit, the ANCHOR Property Tax Relief Program, and the homestead property tax reimbursement program, shall be considered confidential and privileged and neither the director nor any employee engaged in the administration thereof or charged with the custody of any such records or files, nor any former officer or employee, nor any person who may have secured information therefrom under subsection d., e., f., g., p., q., r., or s. of R.S.54:50-9 or any other provision of State law, shall divulge, disclose, use for their own personal advantage, or examine for any reason other than a reason necessitated by the performance of official duties any information obtained from the said records or files or from any examination or inspection of the premises or property of any person. Neither the director nor any employee engaged in such administration or charged with the custody of any such records or files shall be required to produce any of them for the inspection of any person or for use in any action or proceeding except when the records or files or the facts shown thereby are directly involved in an action or proceeding under the provisions of the State Uniform Tax Procedure Law or of the State tax law affected, or where the determination of the action or proceeding will affect the validity or amount of the claim of the State under some State tax law, or in any lawful proceeding for the investigation and prosecution of any violation of the criminal provisions of the State Uniform Tax Procedure Law or of any State tax law.

b. The prohibitions of this section, against unauthorized disclosure, use or examination by any present or former officer or employee of this State or any other individual having custody of such information obtained pursuant to the explicit authority of State law, shall specifically include, without limitation, violations involving the divulgence or examination of any information from or any copy of a federal return or federal return information required by New Jersey law to be attached to or included in any New Jersey return. Any person violating this section by divulging, disclosing or using information shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree. Any person violating this section by examining records or files for any reason other than a reason necessitated by the performance of official duties shall be guilty of a disorderly persons offense.

c. Whenever records and files are used in connection with the prosecution of any person for violating the provisions of this section by divulging, disclosing or using records or files or examining records and files for any reason other than a reason necessitated by the performance of official duties, the defendant shall be given access to those records and files. The court shall review such records and files in camera, and that portion of the court record containing the records and files shall be sealed by the court.

amended 1938, c.175, s.2; 1978, c.165; 1987, c.76, s.13; 1999, c.42; 2007, c.294, s.3; 2019, c.367, s.1; 2020, c.156, s.125; 2021, c.167, s.5; 2024, c.88, s.21.