SENATE BILL No. 586

 

 

June 11, 2003, Introduced by Senator BROWN and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1941 PA 122, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "An act to establish the revenue collection duties of the                   

    department of treasury; to prescribe its powers and duties as the           

    revenue collection agency of the state; to prescribe certain                

    powers and duties of the state treasurer; to regulate the                   

    importation, stamping, and disposition of certain tobacco                   

    products; to provide for the transfer of powers and duties now              

    vested in certain other state boards, commissions, departments              

    and offices; to prescribe certain duties of and require certain             

    reports from the department of treasury; to provide procedures              

    for the payment, administration, audit, assessment, levy of                 

    interests or penalties on, and appeals of taxes and tax                     

    liability; to prescribe its powers and duties if an agreement to            

    act as agent for a city to administer, collect, and enforce the             

    city income tax act on behalf of a city is entered into with any            

    city; to provide an appropriation; to abolish the state board of            

    tax administration; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies;            

    and to declare the effect of this act,"                                     

                                                                                

    by amending section 28 (MCL 205.28), as amended by 2002 PA 657.             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 28.  (1) The following conditions apply to all taxes                   

                                                                                

2   administered under this act unless otherwise provided for in the            

                                                                                

3   specific tax statute:                                                       

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (a) Notice, if required, shall be given either by personal                  

                                                                                

2   service or by certified mail addressed to the last known address            

                                                                                

3   of the taxpayer.  Service upon the department may be made in the            

                                                                                

4   same manner.                                                                

                                                                                

5       (b) An injunction shall not issue to stay proceedings for the               

                                                                                

6   assessment and collection of a tax.                                         

                                                                                

7       (c) In addition to the mode of collection provided in this                  

                                                                                

8   act, the department may institute an action at law in any county            

                                                                                

9   in which the taxpayer resides or transacts business.                        

                                                                                

10      (d) The state treasurer may request in writing information or               

                                                                                

11  records in the possession of any other department, institution,             

                                                                                

12  or agency of state government for the performance of duties under           

                                                                                

13  this act.  Departments, institutions, or agencies of state                  

                                                                                

14  government shall furnish the information and records upon receipt           

                                                                                

15  of the state treasurer's request.  Upon request of the state                

                                                                                

16  treasurer, any department, institution, or agency of state                  

                                                                                

17  government shall hold a hearing under the administrative                    

                                                                                

18  procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, to               

                                                                                

19  consider withholding a license or permit of a person for                    

                                                                                

20  nonpayment of taxes or accounts collected under this act.                   

                                                                                

21      (e) Except as otherwise provided in section 30c, the state                  

                                                                                

22  treasurer or an employee of the department shall not compromise             

                                                                                

23  or reduce in any manner the taxes due to or claimed by this state           

                                                                                

24  or unpaid accounts or amounts due to any department, institution,           

                                                                                

25  or agency of state government.  This subdivision does not prevent           

                                                                                

26  a compromise of interest or penalties, or both.                             

                                                                                

27      (f) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, an                    


                                                                                

1   employee, authorized representative, or former employee or                  

                                                                                

2   authorized representative of the department or anyone connected             

                                                                                

3   with the department shall not divulge any facts or information              

                                                                                

4   obtained in connection with the administration of a tax or                  

                                                                                

5   information or parameters that would enable a person to ascertain           

                                                                                

6   the audit selection or processing criteria of the department for            

                                                                                

7   a tax administered by the department.  An employee or authorized            

                                                                                

8   representative shall not willfully inspect any return or                    

                                                                                

9   information contained in a return unless it is appropriate for              

                                                                                

10  the proper administration of a tax law administered under this              

                                                                                

11  act.  A person may disclose information described in this                   

                                                                                

12  subdivision if the disclosure is required for the proper                    

                                                                                

13  administration of a tax law administered under this act or the              

                                                                                

14  general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157,                

                                                                                

15  pursuant to a judicial order sought by an agency charged with the           

                                                                                

16  duty of enforcing or investigating support obligations pursuant             

                                                                                

17  to an order of a court in a domestic relations matter as that               

                                                                                

18  term is defined in section 2 of the friend of the court act, 1982           

                                                                                

19  PA 294, MCL 552.502, or pursuant to a judicial order sought by an           

                                                                                

20  agency of the federal, state, or local government charged with              

                                                                                

21  the responsibility for the administration or enforcement of                 

                                                                                

22  criminal law for purposes of investigating or prosecuting                   

                                                                                

23  criminal matters or for federal or state grand jury proceedings             

                                                                                

24  or a judicial order if the taxpayer's liability for a tax                   

                                                                                

25  administered under this act is to be adjudicated by the court               

                                                                                

26  that issued the judicial order.  A person may disclose the                  

                                                                                

27  adjusted gross receipts and the wagering tax paid by a casino               


                                                                                

1   licensee licensed under the Michigan gaming control and revenue             

                                                                                

2   act, the Initiated Law of 1996, MCL 432.201 to 432.226, pursuant            

                                                                                

3   to section 18, sections 341, 342, and 386 of the management and             

                                                                                

4   budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1341, 18.1342, and 18.1386, or              

                                                                                

5   authorization by the executive director of the gaming control               

                                                                                

6   board.  However, the state treasurer or a person designated by              

                                                                                

7   the state treasurer may divulge information set forth or                    

                                                                                

8   disclosed in a return or report or by an investigation or audit             

                                                                                

9   to any department, institution, or agency of state government               

                                                                                

10  upon receipt of a written request from a head of the department,            

                                                                                

11  institution, or agency of state government if it is required for            

                                                                                

12  the effective administration or enforcement of the laws of this             

                                                                                

13  state, to a proper officer of the United States department of               

                                                                                

14  treasury, and to a proper officer of another state reciprocating            

                                                                                

15  in this privilege.  The state treasurer may enter into reciprocal           

                                                                                

16  agreements with other departments of state government, the United           

                                                                                

17  States department of treasury, local governmental units within              

                                                                                

18  this state, or taxing officials of other states for the                     

                                                                                

19  enforcement, collection, and exchange of data after ascertaining            

                                                                                

20  that any information provided will be subject to confidentiality            

                                                                                

21  restrictions substantially the same as the provisions of this               

                                                                                

22  act.                                                                        

                                                                                

23      (2) A person who violates subsection (1)(e) or (1)(f) is                    

                                                                                

24  guilty of a felony, punishable by a fine of not more than                   

                                                                                

25  $5,000.00, or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both,              

                                                                                

26  together with the costs of prosecution.  In addition, if the                

                                                                                

27  offense is committed by an employee of this state, the person               


                                                                                

1   shall be dismissed from office or discharged from employment upon           

                                                                                

2   conviction.                                                                 

                                                                                

3       (3) A person liable for any tax administered under this act                 

                                                                                

4   shall keep accurate and complete records necessary for the proper           

                                                                                

5   determination of tax liability as required by law or rule of the            

                                                                                

6   department.                                                                 

                                                                                

7       (4) As used in subsection (1), "adjusted gross receipts" and                

                                                                                

8   "wagering tax" mean those terms as described in the Michigan                

                                                                                

9   gaming control and revenue act, the Initiated Law of 1996, MCL              

                                                                                

10  432.201 to 432.226.