(a) Prohibitions(1) Federal employees and other personsIt shall be unlawful for—(A) any officer or employee of the United States, or
(B) any person described in subsection (l)(18) or (n) of section 6103 or an officer or employee of any such person,
willfully to inspect, except as authorized in this title, any return or return information.
(2) State and other employeesIt shall be unlawful for any person (not described in paragraph (1)) willfully to inspect, except as authorized in this title, any return or return information acquired by such person or another person under a provision of section 6103 referred to in section 7213(a)(2) or under section 6104(c).
(b) Penalty(1) In generalAny violation of subsection (a) shall be punishable upon conviction by a fine in any amount not exceeding $1,000, or imprisonment of not more than 1 year, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.
(2) Federal officers or employeesAn officer or employee of the United States who is convicted of any violation of subsection (a) shall, in addition to any other punishment, be dismissed from office or discharged from employment.
(c) DefinitionsFor purposes of this section, the terms “inspect”, “return”, and “return information” have the respective meanings given such terms by section 6103(b).
Structure US Code
Title 26— INTERNAL REVENUE CODE
Subtitle F— Procedure and Administration
CHAPTER 75— CRIMES, OTHER OFFENSES, AND FORFEITURES
§ 7201. Attempt to evade or defeat tax
§ 7202. Willful failure to collect or pay over tax
§ 7203. Willful failure to file return, supply information, or pay tax
§ 7204. Fraudulent statement or failure to make statement to employees
§ 7205. Fraudulent withholding exemption certificate or failure to supply information
§ 7206. Fraud and false statements
§ 7207. Fraudulent returns, statements, or other documents
§ 7208. Offenses relating to stamps
§ 7209. Unauthorized use or sale of stamps
§ 7210. Failure to obey summons
§ 7211. False statements to purchasers or lessees relating to tax
§ 7212. Attempts to interfere with administration of internal revenue laws
§ 7213. Unauthorized disclosure of information
§ 7213A. Unauthorized inspection of returns or return information
§ 7214. Offenses by officers and employees of the United States
§ 7215. Offenses with respect to collected taxes
§ 7216. Disclosure or use of information by preparers of returns
§ 7217. Prohibition on executive branch influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations