applicant] such person such undertaking filed with the commissioner of finance may be in a sum sufficient to cover the taxes, penalties and interest thereon stated in such [determination] decision plus the costs and charges which may accrue against it in the prosecution of the proceeding, in which event [the applicant] such person shall not be required to deposit such taxes, penalties and interest as a condition precedent to the application.

§ 120. Subdivisions a, b and c of section 11-2507 of the administrative code of the city of New York are amended to read as follows:

a. In the manner provided in this section the commissioner of finance shall refund or credit, without interest, any tax, penalty or interest erroneously, illegally or unconstitutionally collected or paid if written application to the commissioner of finance for such refund shall be made within one year from the payment thereof. Whenever a refund or credit is made or denied by the commissioner of finance, he or she shall state his or her reasons there for and give notice thereof to the taxpayer in writing. Such application may be made by the occupant, operator or other person who has actually paid the tax. Such application may also be made by an operator who has collected and paid over such tax to the commissioner of finance provided that the application is made within one year of the payment by the occupant to the operator, but no actual refund of moneys shall be made to such operator until he or she shall first establish to the satisfaction of the commissioner of finance, under such regulations as the commissioner of finance may prescribe, that he or she has repaid to the occupant the amount for which the application for refund is made. The commissioner of finance may, in lieu of any refund required to be made, allow credit therefor on payments due from the applicant.

b. [An application for a refund or credit made as herein provided shall be deemed an application for revision of any tax, penalty or interest complained of. If the commissioner of finance, prior to any hearing being held, initially denies the application for refund, he or she shall give notice of such determination of denial to the applicant. Such determination shall be final and irrevocable unless the applicant, within thirty days after the giving of notice of such determination, shall apply to the commissioner of finance for a hearing, or unless the commissioner of finance of his or her own motion shall redetermine the same. After such hearing the commissioner of finance shall give notice of his or her determination] Any determination of the commissioner of finance denying a refund or credit pursuant to subdivision a of this section shall be final and irrevocable unless the applicant for such refund or credit, within ninety days from the mailing of notice of such determination, or, if the commissioner of finance has established a conciliation procedure pursuant to section 11-124 and the applicant has requested a conciliation conference in accordance therewith, within ninety days from the mailing of a conciliation decision or the date of the commissioner's confirmation of the discontinuance of the conciliation proceeding, both (1) serves a petition upon the commissioner of finance and (2) files a petition with the tax appeals tribunal for a hearing. Such petition for a refund or credit, made as herein provided, shall be deemed an application for a revision of any tax, penalty or interest complained of. Such hearing and any appeal to the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc from the decision rendered in such hearing shall be conducted in the manner and subject to the requirements prescribed by the tax appeals tribunal pursuant to sections one hundred sixty-eight through one hundred seventy-two of the charter. After such hearing, the tax appeals tribunal shall give notice of its decision to the applicant, who] and to the commissioner of finance. The applicant shall be entitled to review such [determination] decision of the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc by a proceeding pursuant to article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules, provided such proceeding is instituted within [thirty days] four months after the giving of the notice of such [determination] decision, and provided, in the case of an application by à person liable for the tax, that a final determination of tax was not previously made. Such a proceeding shall not be instituted by a person liable for the tax unless an undertaking is filed with the commissioner of finance in such amount and with such sureties as a justice of the supreme court shall approve to the effect that if such proceeding be dismissed or the tax confirmed, [the EXPLANATION-Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law

petitioner] such person will pay all costs and charges which may in the prosecution of such proceeding.

accrue

as

C. A person shall not be entitled to a revision, refund or credit under this section of a tax, interest or penalty which had been determined to be due pursuant to the provisions of section 11-2506 of this chapter where he or she has had a hearing or an opportunity for a hearing, provided in said section, or has failed to avail himself or herself of the remedies therein provided. No refund or credit shall be made of a tax, interest or penalty paid after a determination by the commissioner of finance made pursuant to section 11-2506 of this chapter unless it be found that such determination was erroneous, illegal or unconstitutional or otherwise improper, by the [commissioner of finance] tax appeals tribunal after a hearing or of [his or her] the Commissioner of finance's own motion, or, if such tax appeals tribunal affirms in whole or in part the determination of the commissioner of finance, in a proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules, pursuant to the provision of said section, in which event refund or credit without interest shall be made of the tax, interest or penalty found to have been overpaid.

§ 121. Section 11-2509 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:

§ 11-2509 Remedies exclusive. The remedies provided by sections 11-2506 and 11-2507 of this chapter shall be the exclusive remedies available to any person for the review of tax liability imposed by this chapter; and no determination or proposed determination of tax or determination on any application for refund by the commissioner of finance, nor any decision by the tax appeals tribunal or any of its administrative law judges, shall be enjoined or reviewed by an action for declaratory judgment, and action for money had and received or by any action or proceeding other than, in the case of a decision by the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc, a proceeding in the nature of a certiorari proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules; provided, however, that a taxpayer may proceed by declaratory judgment if he or she institutes suit within thirty days after a deficiency assessment is made and pays the amount of the deficiency ment to the commissioner of finance prior to the institution of such suit and posts a bond for costs as provided in section 11-2506 of this chapter.

assess

§ 122. Subdivisions a, b and d of section 11-2512 of the administrative code of the city of New York are amended to read as follows:

a. The commissioner of finance [or], his or her employees or agents duly designated and authorized by him or her, the tax appeals tribunal and any of its duly designated and authorized employees or agents shall have power to administer oaths and take affidavits in relation to any matter or proceeding in the exercise of their powers and duties under this chapter. The commissioner of finance and the tax appeals tribunal shall have power to subpoena and require the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers and documents to secure information pertinent to the performance of [his or her] the duties of the commissioner or the tax appeals tribunal hereunder and of the enforcement of this chapter and to examine them in relation thereto, and to issue commissions for the examination of witnesses who are out of the state able to attend before such commissioner or tax appeals tribunal or excused from attendance.

or un

b. A justice of the supreme court either in court or at chambers shall have power summarily to enforce by proper proceedings the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production and examination of books papers and documents called for by the subpoena of the commissioner finance or the tax appeals tribunal under this chapter.

of

d. The officers who serve the summons or subpoena of the commissioner of finance or the tax appeals tribunal and witnesses attending in response thereto shall be entitled to the same fees as are allowed to officers and witnesses in civil cases in courts of record, except as herein otherwise provided. Such officers shall be the city sheriff and his or her duly appointed deputies or any officers or employees of the department of finance or the tax appeals tribunal, designated to serve such process.

§ 123. Subdivision a of section 11-2516 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 62 of the city of New York for the year 1988, is amended to read as follows:

a. Except in accordance with proper judicial order, or as otherwise provided by law, it shall be unlawful for the commissioner of finance,

a

any officer or employee of the department of finance, any person engaged or retained on an independent contract basis, the tax appeals tribunal, any commissioner or employee of such tribunal, or any person who, pursuant to this section, is permitted to inspect any return or to whom copy, an abstract or a portion of any return is furnished, or to whom any information contained in any return is furnished, to divulge or make known in any manner the rents or other information relating to the business of a taxpayer contained in any return required under this chapter. The officers charged with with the custody of such returns shall not be required to produce any of them or evidence of anything contained in them in any action or proceeding in any court, except on behalf of the commissioner of finance in an action or proceeding under the provisions of this chapter or on behalf of any party to any action or proceeding under the provisions of this chapter when the returns or facts shown thereby are directly involved in such action or proceeding, in either of which events the court may require the production of, and may admit in evidence, so much of said returns or of the facts shown [therby] thereby, as are pertinent to the action or proceeding and no more. [The commissioner of finance may, nevertheless, publish a copy or a summary of any determination or decision rendered after a formal hearing held pursuant to section 11-2506 or 11-2507 of this chapter. ] Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the delivery to a taxpayer or his or her duly authorized representative of a certified copy of any return filed in connection with his or her tax; nor to prohibit the delivery of such a certified copy of such return or of any information contained in or relating thereto, to the United States of America or any department thereof, to the state of New York or any department thereof, or to any agency or department of the city of New York, provided the same is requested for official business; nor to prohibit the inspection for official business of such returns by the corporation counsel or other legal representatives of the city or by the district attorney of any county within the city; nor to prohibit the publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of particular returns and the items thereof. Returns shall be preserved for three years and thereafter until the commissioner of finance permits them to be destroyed.

§ 124. Section 11-2516 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subdivision d to read as follows: d. Notwithstanding anything in subdivision a of this section to the contrary, if a taxpayer has petitioned the tax appeals tribunal for administrative review as provided in section one hundred seventy of the charter, the commissioner of finance shall be authorized to present to the tribunal any report or return of such taxpayer, or any information contained therein or relating thereto, which may be material or relevant to the proceeding before the tribunal. The tax appeals tribunal shall be authorized to publish a copy or a summary of any decision rendered pursuant to section one hundred seventy-one of the charter.

§ 125. Subdivision d of section 11-2517 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:

d. If any return, claim, statement, notice, application, or other document required to be filed, or any payment required to be made, within a prescribed period or on or before a prescribed date under authority of any provision of this chapter is, after such period or such date, delivered by United States mail to the commissioner of finance, the tax appeals tribunal, bureau, office, officer or person with which or with whom such document is required to be filed, or to which or to whom such payment is required to be made, the date of the United States postmark stamped on the envelope shall be deemed to be the date of delivery. This subdivision shall apply only if the postmark date falls within the prescribed period or on or before the prescribed date for the filing of such document, or for making the payment, including any extension granted for such filing or payment, and only if such document or payment was deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, properly addressed to the commissioner of finance, the tax appeals tribunal, bureau, office, officer or person with which or with whom the document is required be filed or to which or to whom such payment is required to be made. If any document is sent by United States registered mail, such registration shall be prima facie evidence that such document was delivered to the commissioner of finance, the tax appeals tribunal, bureau, office, EXPLANATION-Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law

to

officer or person to which or to whom addressed, and the date of registration shall be deemed the postmark date. The commissioner of finance [is] and, where relevant, the tax appeals tribunal are authorized to provide by regulation the extent to which the provisions of the preceding sentence with respect to prima facie evidence of delivery and the postmark date shall apply to certified mail. This subdivision shall apply in the case of postmarks not made by the United States postal service only if and to the extent provided by regulation of the commissioner of finance or, where relevant, the tax appeals tribunal.

§ 126. Section 11-2701 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subdivision 12 to read as follows: 12. "Tax appeals tribunal." The tax appeals tribunal established by section one hundred sixty-eight of the charter.

§ 127. Section 11-2707 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:

§ 11-2707 Determination of vault charge. If a return required by this chapter is not filed or if a return when filed is incorrect or insufficient, the amount of the vault charge due shall be determined by the commissioner of finance from such information as may be obtainable and, if necessary, the charge may be estimated on the basis of external indices, including but not limited to the records of the department of transportation, the reports of tax assessors, the reports of inspectors and investigators in the offices of the commissioner of finance and commissioner of transportation, and/or other information or factors. Notice of such determination shall be given to the person liable for the payment thereof. Such determination shall finally and irrevocably fix the vault charge unless the person against whom it is assessed shall, within [thirty] ninety days after the giving of notice of such determination, apply to the commissioner of finance for a hearing] or, if the commissioner of finance has established a conciliation procedure pursuant to section 11-124 of the code and such person has requested a conciliation conference in accordance therewith, within ninety days from the mailing of a conciliation decision or the date of the commissioner's confirmation of the discontinuance of the conciliation proceeding, both (1) serves a petition upon the commissioner of finance and (2) files a petition with the tax appeals tribunal, or unless the commissioner of finance of his or her own motion shall redetermine the same. Upon such hearing the [commissioner of finance] tax appeals tribunal may require the filing of a certificate signed by a city surveyor specifying the dimensions of the vault. After such hearing the [commissioner of finance] tax appeals tribunal shall give notice of [his or her determination] its decision to the person against whom the vault charge is assessed. [The determination of the commissioner of finance] A decision of the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc shall be reviewable for error, illegality or unconstitutionality or any other reason whatsoever by a proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules if application therefor is made to the supreme court by the person against whom the vault charge was assessed within [thirty_days] four months after the giving of the notice of such [determination] tax appeals tribunal decision. A proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules shall not be instituted by a person against whom the vault charge is assessed unless (a) the amount of any vault charge sought to be reviewed, with penalties and interest thereon, if any, shall be first deposited with the commissioner of finance and there shall be filed with the commissioner of finance an undertaking in such amount and with such sureties as a justice of the supreme court shall approve, to the effect that if such proceeding be dismissed or the vault charge confirmed the [petitioner] person against whom the vault charge is assessed will pay all costs and charges which may accrue in the prosecution of the proceeding, or (b) at the option of [the applicant] such person, such undertaking filed with the commissioner of finance may be in a sum sufficient to cover the vault charge, penalties and interest thereon stated in such [determination] decision plus the costs and charges which may accrue against him or her in the prosecution of the proceeding, in which event [the applicant] such person shall not be required to deposit such vault charge, penalties and interest as a condition precedent to the application.

§ 128. Subdivisions a, b and c of section 11-2708 of the administrative code of the city of New York are amended to read as follows:

a. In the manner provided in this section, the commissioner of finance shall refund or credit, without interest, any vault charge, penalty or interest erroneously, illegally or unconstitutionally collected or paid

if application to the commissioner of finance for such refund shall be made within one year from the payment thereof. Whenever a refund is made or denied by the commissioner of finance, he or she shall state his or her reason therefor and give notice thereof to the applicant in writing. Such application may be made by the owner of the premises, other person, who has actually paid the vault charge. The commissioner of finance may, in lieu of any refund required to be made, allow credit therefor on payments due from the applicant.

or

b. [An application for a refund or credit made as herein provided shall be deemed an application for a revision of any vault charge, penalty or interest complained of and the commissioner of finance may receive evidence with respect thereto. After making his or her determination, the commissioner of finance shall give notice thereof] Any determination of the commissioner of finance denying a refund or credit pursuant to subdivision a of this section shall be final and irrevocable unless the applicant for such refund or credit, within ninety days from the mailing of notice of such determination, or, if the commissioner of finance has established a conciliation procedure pursuant to section 11-124 of the administrative code and the applicant has requested a conciliation conference in accordance therewith, within ninety days from the mailing of a conciliation decision or the date of the commissioner's confirmation of the discontinuance of the conciliation proceeding, both (1) serves a petition upon the commissioner of finance and (2) files a petition with the tax appeals tribunal for a hearing. Such petition for a refund or credit, made as herein provided, shall be deemed an application for a revision of any vault charge, penalty or interest complained of. Such hearing and any appeal to the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc from the decision rendered in such hearing shall be conducted in the manner and subject to the requirements prescribed by the tax appeals tribunal pursuant to sections one hundred sixty-eight through one hundred seventy-two of the charter. After such hearing, the_tax_appeals tribunal shall give notice of its decision to the applicant [who] and to the commissioner of finance. The applicant shall be entitled to review such [determination] decision of the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc by a proceeding pursuant to article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules, provided such proceeding is instituted within [thirty days] four months after the giving of the notice of such [determination] decision, and provided, in the case of an application by a person against whom the vault charge is assessed, that a final determination of the vault charge due was not previously made. Such a proceeding shall not be instituted by a person against whom the vault charge is assessed unless an undertaking is filed with the commissioner of finance in such amount and with such sureties as a justice of the supreme court shall approve to the effect that if such proceeding be dismissed or the [determination] vault charge confirmed, [the petitioner] such person will pay all costs and charges which may accrue in the prosecution of such proceeding.

c. A person shall not be entitled to a revision, refund or credit under this section of a vault charge, interest or penalty which had been determined to be due pursuant to the provisions of section 11-2707 of this chapter where he or she has had a hearing or an opportunity for a hearing, as provided in said section, or has failed to avail himself or herself of the remedies therein provided. No refund or credit shall be made of annual vault charge, interest or penalty paid after a determination by the commissioner of finance made pursuant to section 11-2707 of this chapter unless it be found that such determination was erroneous, illegal or unconstitutional or otherwise improper, by the [commissioner of finance] tax appeals tribunal after a hearing or on [his or her] the commissioner's own motion, or, if such tax appeals tribunal affirms in whole or in part the determination of the commissioner of finance, in a proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules, pursuant to the provisions of said section, in which event refund or credit without interest shall be made of the vault charge, interest or penalty found to have been overpaid.

§ 129. Section 11-2710 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to read as follows:

§ 11-2710 Remedies exclusive. The remedies provided by sections 11-2707 and 11-2708 of this chapter shall be the exclusive remedies available to any person for the review of the liability imposed hereun

EXPLANATION-Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law