Texas Tax Code 22.27 – Confidential Information
(a) Rendition statements, real and personal property reports, attachments to those statements and reports, and other information the owner of property provides to the appraisal office in connection with the appraisal of the property, including income and expense information related to a property filed with an appraisal office and information voluntarily disclosed to an appraisal office or the comptroller about real or personal property sales prices after a promise it will be held confidential, are confidential and not open to public inspection. The statements and reports and the information they contain about specific real or personal property or a specific real or personal property owner and information voluntarily disclosed to an appraisal office about real or personal property sales prices after a promise it will be held confidential may not be disclosed to anyone other than an employee of the appraisal office who appraises property except as authorized by Subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Information made confidential by this section may be disclosed:
(1) in a judicial or administrative proceeding pursuant to a lawful subpoena;
(2) to the person who filed the statement or report or the owner of property subject to the statement, report, or information or to a representative of either authorized in writing to receive the information;
(3) to the comptroller and the comptroller’s employees authorized by the comptroller in writing to receive the information or to an assessor or a chief appraiser if requested in writing;
(4) in a judicial or administrative proceeding relating to property taxation to which the person who filed the statement or report or the owner of the property that is a subject of the statement, report, or information is a party;
(5) for statistical purposes if in a form that does not identify specific property or a specific property owner;
(6) if and to the extent the information is required to be included in a public document or record that the appraisal office is required to prepare or maintain;
(7) to a taxing unit or its legal representative that is engaged in the collection of delinquent taxes on the property that is the subject of the information;
(8) to an employee or agent of a taxing unit responsible for auditing, monitoring, or reviewing the operations of an appraisal district; or
(9) to an employee or agent of a school district that is engaged in the preparation of a protest of the comptroller’s property value study in accordance with § 403.303, Government Code.
Attorney's Note
Under the Texas Codes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class B misdemeanor | up to 180 days | up to $2,000 |
Terms Used In Texas Tax Code 22.27
- Appraisal: A determination of property value.
- Assessor: means the officer or employee responsible for assessing property taxes as provided by Chapter 26 of this code for a taxing unit by whatever title he is designated. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
- Comptroller: means the Comptroller of Public Accounts of the State of Texas. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- Personal property: means property that is not real property. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
- Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Taxing unit: means a county, an incorporated city or town (including a home-rule city), a school district, a special district or authority (including a junior college district, a hospital district, a district created by or pursuant to the Water Code, a mosquito control district, a fire prevention district, or a noxious weed control district), or any other political unit of this state, whether created by or pursuant to the constitution or a local, special, or general law, that is authorized to impose and is imposing ad valorem taxes on property even if the governing body of another political unit determines the tax rate for the unit or otherwise governs its affairs. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
(c) A person who legally has access to a statement or report or to other information made confidential by this section or who legally obtains the confidential information commits a Class B misdemeanor if he knowingly:
(1) permits inspection of the statement or report by a person not authorized to inspect it by Subsection (b) of this section; or
(2) discloses the confidential information to a person not authorized to receive the information by Subsection (b) of this section.
(d) No person who directly or indirectly provides information to the comptroller or appraisal office about real or personal property sales prices, either as set forth in Subsection (a) of this section under a promise of confidentiality, or otherwise, shall be liable to any other person as the result of providing such information.