North Carolina General Statutes 153A-148.1. Disclosure of certain information prohibited
(a) Disclosure Prohibited. – Notwithstanding Chapter 132 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. or any other law regarding access to public records, local tax records that contain information about a taxpayer’s income or receipts are not public records. A current or former officer, employee, or agent of a county who in the course of service to or employment by the county has access to information about the amount of a taxpayer’s income or receipts may not disclose the information to any other person unless the disclosure is made for one of the following purposes:
(1) To comply with a court order or a law.
Attorney's Note
Under the N.C. Gen. Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 misdemeanor | up to 120 days |
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 153A-148.1
- County: means any one of the counties listed in N. See North Carolina General Statutes 153A-1
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
(2) Review by the Attorney General or a representative of the Attorney General.
(3) To sort, process, or deliver tax information on behalf of the county, as necessary to administer a tax.
(4) To exchange information with a regional public transportation authority or a regional transportation authority created pursuant to Article 26 or Article 27 of Chapter 160A of the N.C. Gen. Stat., when the information is needed to fulfill a duty imposed on the authority or on the county.
(5) To exchange information with the Department of Revenue, when the information is needed to fulfill a duty imposed on the Department or on the county.
(6) To include on a property tax receipt the amount of property taxes due and the amount of property taxes deferred on a residence classified under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 105-277.1B, the property tax homestead circuit breaker.
(7) To disclose to the authorized finance officer of any municipality located within the county tax information in the possession of the county, as necessary to administer a tax.
(b) Punishment. – A person who violates this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If the person committing the violation is an officer or employee, that person shall be dismissed from public office or public employment and may not hold any public office or public employment in this State for five years after the violation. (1993, c. 485, s. 33; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 14, s. 66; 1998-139, s. 2; 2008-35, s. 1.4; 2016-92, s. 3.1(a).)