§ 7-18 Returns To Be Secret.
RCNY § 7-18
Except in accordance with judicial order or as otherwise provided by law, it is unlawful for the Commissioner of Finance or any officer or employee of the Department of Finance to divulge or make known in any manner any information relating to the business of a taxpayer contained in any return required under the law. The officers charged with the custody of such returns are not 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 Commissioner of Finance in an action or proceeding under the provisions of the law, or on behalf of any party to any action or proceeding under the provisions of the law when the returns or facts shown thereby are directly involved in such action or proceeding, in either of which events the court may require the production of and may admit in evidence so much of the returns or of the facts shown thereby as are pertinent to the action or proceeding and no more. A taxpayer may obtain a certified copy of any return filed in connection with his tax upon application in writing to the Commissioner. Where a representative of a taxpayer applies for a certified copy of such return, he must file a power of attorney with the application. A certified copy of a taxpayer's return or of information contained therein or relating thereto may be delivered to the United States of America or any department thereof, the State of New York or any department thereof, any agency or any department of the City of New York provided the same is requested for official business. The Corporation Counsel or other legal representatives of the City or the District Attorney of any county within the City may be permitted to inspect returns for official business. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of particular returns or items thereof.
