437A.14 Correction of errors — refunds or credits of replacement tax paid — information confidential — penalty.

1. a. If an amount of replacement tax, penalty, or interest has been paid which was not due under this chapter, a city’s chief financial officer or county treasurer to whom such erroneous payment was made shall do one of the following:

(1) Credit the amount of the erroneous payment against any replacement tax due, or to become due, from the taxpayer on the books of the city or county.

(2) Refund the amount of the erroneous payment to the taxpayer.

b. (1) Claims for refund or credit of replacement taxes paid shall be filed with the director. A claim for refund or credit that is not filed with the director within three years after the replacement tax payment upon which a refund or credit is claimed became due, or one year after the replacement tax payment was made, whichever time is later, shall not be allowed. A claim for refund or credit of tax alleged to be unconstitutional not filed with the director within ninety days after the replacement tax payment upon which a refund or credit is claimed became due shall not be allowed. As a precondition for claiming a refund or credit of alleged unconstitutional taxes, such taxes must be paid under written protest which specifies the particulars of the alleged unconstitutionality. Claims for refund or credit may only be made by, and refunds or credits may only be made to, the person responsible for paying the replacement tax, or such person’s successors. The director shall notify affected county treasurers of the acceptance or denial of any refund claim. Section 421.10 applies to claims denied by the director.

(2) If an amount of overpaid replacement tax is attributable to payment of excess property tax liability as described in section 437A.15, subsection 3, paragraph “b”, a claim for refund or credit may only be made by, and a refund or credit shall only be made to, the person who made such excess payment. Such claim shall not be made by the person who collected the tax from another person.

2. It is unlawful for any present or former officer or employee of the state to divulge or to make known in any manner to any person the kilowatt-hours of electricity or therms of natural gas delivered by a taxpayer in a competitive service area disclosed on a tax return, return information, or investigative or audit information. A person who violates this section is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. If the offender is an officer or employee of the state, such person, in addition to any other penalty, shall also be dismissed from office or discharged from employment. This section does not prohibit turning over to duly authorized officers of the United States or tax officials of other states such kilowatt-hours or therms pursuant to agreement between the director and the secretary of the treasury of the United States or the secretary’s delegate or pursuant to a reciprocal agreement with another state.

3. Unless otherwise expressly permitted by a section referencing this chapter, the kilowatt-hours of electricity or therms of natural gas delivered by a taxpayer in a competitive service area shall not be divulged to any person or entity, other than the taxpayer, the department of revenue, or the internal revenue service for use in a matter unrelated to tax administration. This prohibition precludes persons or entities other than the taxpayer, the department of revenue, or the internal revenue service from obtaining such information from the department of revenue. A subpoena, order, or process which requires the department of revenue to produce such information to a person or entity, other than the taxpayer, the department of revenue, or internal revenue service, for use in a nontax proceeding is void.

4. a. Notwithstanding subsections 2 and 3, the chief financial officer of any local taxing authority and any designee of such officer shall have access to any computations made by the director pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, and any tax return or other information used by the director in making such computations, which affect the replacement tax owed by any such taxpayer.

b. Notwithstanding this section, providing information relating to the kilowatt-hours of electricity or therms of natural gas delivered by a taxpayer in a competitive service area to the task force established in section 437A.15, subsection 7, is not a violation of this section.

5. Local taxing authority employees are deemed to be officers and employees of the state for purposes of subsection 2.

6. Claims for refund or credit of municipal transfer replacement tax shall be filed with the appropriate city’s chief financial officer. Subsection 1 applies with respect to the transfer replacement tax and the city’s chief financial officer shall have the same authority as is granted to the director under this section with respect to a return filed pursuant to section 437A.8, subsection 2.

7. Claims for refund or credit of special utility property tax levies shall be filed with the appropriate county treasurer. Subsection 1 applies with respect to the special utility property tax levy and the county treasurer shall have the same authority as is granted to the director under this section.

98 Acts, ch 1194, §15, 40; 99 Acts, ch 152, §26, 27, 40; 2000 Acts, ch 1114, §9, 17, 18; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §246; 2011 Acts, ch 25, §94, 143; 2012 Acts, ch 1021, §77

Referred to in §437A.8, 437A.22, 476B.2, 476B.7, 476C.6