Section 21022 Of Part 10.7. Taxpayers' Bill Of Rights From California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 10.7.
21022
. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (f), if any officer or
employee of the board intentionally settles the determination or
compromises the collection of any tax due from an attorney, certified
public accountant, or tax preparer (as defined in subdivision (b) of
Section 19169) representing a taxpayer, in exchange for information
conveyed by the taxpayer to the attorney, certified public
accountant, or tax preparer for purposes of obtaining advice
concerning the taxpayer's tax liability, the taxpayer may bring a
civil action for damages against the State of California in superior
court. The civil action shall be the exclusive remedy for recovering
damages resulting from the acts described in this subdivision.
(b) In any action brought under subdivision (a), upon the finding
of liability on the part of the defendant, the defendant shall be
liable to the plaintiff in an amount equal to the lesser of five
hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or the sum of all the following:
(1) Actual, direct economic damages sustained by the plaintiff as
a proximate result of the information disclosure.
(2) The costs of the action.
(c) Damages shall not include the taxpayer's liability for any
civil or criminal penalties or other losses attributable to
incarceration or the imposition of other criminal sanctions.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an action to
enforce liability created under this section may be brought without
regard to the amount in controversy, and may be brought only within
two years after the date the actions creating the liability would
have been discovered by the exercise of reasonable care.
(e) Upon certification of the executive officer of the board, or
the executive officer's delegate, that criminal charges have been
filed against the taxpayer, the court before which an action under
this section is pending shall stay all proceedings with respect to
the action, pending the resolution of those criminal charges.
Certification authorized by this subdivision shall comply with the
requirements of Section 19542.
(f) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to information conveyed to an
attorney, certified public accountant, or tax preparer for the
purpose of perpetrating a fraud or crime.
(g) This section is operative for actions filed on or after
January 1, 1998.