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<section article="gtg" article_name="Tax - General" number="1-401" title_number="1" title_name="Definitions; General Provisions" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Whistleblower Reward Program">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>“Covered enforcement action” means an enforcement action brought by the Comptroller under this article that concerns:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>the State and county income tax liability of an individual taxpayer or a couple that is married and files jointly whose federal adjusted gross income is at least $250,000; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the State and county tax liability of a business, including those persons who are jointly and severally liable for the State tax liability of a business under this article, the annual gross receipts or sales of which are at least $2,000,000; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>taxes in dispute exceeding $250,000.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>“Original information” means information that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>is derived from the independent knowledge or analysis of a whistleblower;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>is not known to the Comptroller from any other source, unless the whistleblower is the original source of the information;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>is not exclusively derived from an allegation made in a judicial or administrative hearing, in a governmental report, hearing, audit, or investigation or from the news media, unless the whistleblower is a source of the information; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>is provided to the Comptroller in a sworn affidavit for the first time on or after October 1, 2021.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>“Related action” means any judicial or administrative action brought by a State or local agency or entity based on the original information provided by a whistleblower to the Comptroller under this subtitle.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Whistleblower” means an individual or entity who provides, or two or more individuals or entities acting jointly who provide, in accordance with this subtitle, information to the Comptroller in a sworn affidavit relating to a violation of State tax law, including a rule or regulation, that has occurred, is ongoing, or is about to occur.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Whistleblower” includes an individual who provides information to a law enforcement agency before providing the information to the Comptroller.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
