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Agency privacy notice

The Washington State Department of Revenue (Revenue) is committed to protecting your privacy and to handling confidential customer information responsibly, transparently, and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. As a trusted leader in tax administration and public service, Revenue collects and processes customer information in alignment with our values of integrity and accountability. 

This Privacy Notice explains what information we collect, how it is used, and when it may be shared. 

Contents

Information we collect and how it is used

Revenue collects confidential information to meet statutory requirements, administer programs, deliver services, and improve systems. This information may also be used indirectly to respond to your questions, communicate about accounts/transactions, or to improve our services. Confidential information we collect includes, but is not limited to:

  • Tax information.
  • Licensing information.
  • Property tax information.
  • Unclaimed property information.
  • Demographic information.  
  • Employment information. 
  • Financial information. 
  • Driver's license information.
  • Geolocation information. 
  • Federal tax information.
  • Social Security information.

All information submitted while conducting business with Revenue is only used for its intended purpose and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

When information may be shared 

State and federal laws permit us to share information about Revenue customers for tax administration and other official purposes. When necessary, we only share what the law allows and the least amount of information possible to fulfill the request. 

Additionally, Revenue may be required to provide records under court order, subpoena, discovery request, or for judicial and administrative proceedings. 

How we protect your information

To protect your information, we:

  • Follow internal standards and procedures to ensure strict adherence to data security principles and to prevent data breaches or incidents.  
  • Require staff to participate in rigorous training that addresses privacy, how to handle confidential information, and the potential civil penalties for misuse of data.  
  • Expect Revenue employees to understand their obligation to protect personal information and to not disclose confidential information without specific authorization or legal authority.  

To protect your information, we don’t: 

  • Provide confidential information to anyone for marketing, surveys, or any commercial purposes.  
  • Sell confidential information. 
  • Collect, capture, purchase, or obtain any biometric identifiers. 

Retention and deletion

Revenue retains confidential customer information in accordance with the records retention schedules published by the Washington State Archives. 
These schedules require us to keep information for varying periods depending on the nature of the business conducted or content of the record. Revenue manages the retention and deletion of information to ensure compliance with legal requirements and to minimize risks associated with unnecessary storage of information.

Security

Revenue works diligently to protect the privacy and security of your confidential information. Our security practices are regularly reviewed and updated to mitigate risks or a data compromise.

Public access to information

In the state of Washington, laws exist to ensure that the government is transparent, and the public has a right to access relevant records and information held by the state government. At the same time, state and federal laws include exemptions from the public's right to access public records that serve various purposes, including the protection of individual and taxpayer privacy.

As a Washington state public agency, all Revenue information prepared, owned, used, or retained to conduct business is a public record under the Public Records Act, RCW Chapter 42.56. Revenue does make available and publish publicly available information about individuals and businesses, including certain licensing and unclaimed property information.

In addition to exemptions under the Public Records Act, several laws apply to limit access to, and disclosure of records submitted to or held by Revenue. The primary confidentiality laws affecting Revenue’s records include:

  • RCW 82.32.330: Disclosure of return or tax information
  • RCW 19.02.115: Licensing information-authorized disclosure
  • RCW 84.08.210: Confidentiality and privilege of property tax information
  • RCW 63.30.380: Unclaimed Property-Confidential information
  • 26 U.S.C. § 6103 Federal Tax Information

These and other laws protect the confidentiality of certain records and outline specific circumstances under which access is allowed. These circumstances may include access by taxpayers or their authorized representatives, sharing with specified government agencies, disclosure under court order, or other access permitted by law. Please review the linked laws for more information.

Correcting personally identifiable information

State law requires agencies that collect and enter personally identifiable information into publicly accessible systems to have procedures for correcting inaccurate information. These procedures must allow individuals to review information about themselves and recommend corrections to information they believe is inaccurate (RCW 43.105.365).

You can request and review any personally identifiable information we collect about you for these purposes by using the information in the Contact Information Section at the end of this Notice. You may recommend changes to Personally Identifiable Information you believe to be inaccurate by submitting a written and signed request that clearly explains any factual inaccuracies. We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections.

Contact information

For questions about this Privacy Notice, or to review or request correction of your personally identifiable information, please contact:

Information Governance Office
Department of Revenue
PO Box 47456
Olympia WA 98504-7456

DORdatasharing@dor.wa.gov

Accessibility

To inquire about the availability of this information in an alternate format, please call 360-705-6715.