(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.

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(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 audit in the office of budget and management charged with directing 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 audit.

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

(3) Permitting properly authorized officers, employees, or agents of a municipal corporation from inspecting reports or information pursuant to section 718.84 of the Revised Code or rules adopted under section 5745.16 of the Revised Code;

(4) 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;

(5) 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;

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

(7) Disclosing to a state or federal government agency, for use in the performance of that agency’s official duties in this state, information in the possession of the tax commissioner necessary to verify compliance with any provision of the Revised Code or federal law relating to that agency. Unless disclosure is otherwise authorized by law, information provided to any state or federal government agency under this section remains confidential and is not subject to further disclosure.