Thanks to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for this Post.

On May 29th, the California Bill SB 27 that Require Presidential Primary Candidates to Reveal the last Five Years of their Income Tax Returns was Amended.

SB 27 now also Applies that Requirement to Candidates for Governor.

The Amended Bill does Not apply to Write-In Candidates.

SB 27 shall be known and cited as the Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act.

The Secretary of State shall Not Print the Name of a Candidate for President of the U.S. on a Primary Election Ballot, Unless the Candidate, at least 98 days before the Presidential Primary Election, files with the Secretary of State Copies of every Income Tax Return the Candidate filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the Five most Recent Taxable Years. If the Candidate has Not filed the Candidate’s Income Tax Return with the IRS for the Tax year Immediately Preceding the Primary Election, the Candidate Shall Submit a Copy of the Income Tax Return to the Secretary of State within Five days of Filing the Return with the IRS.

The Candidate shall Submit the Following to the Secretary of State:

Two Copies of each Tax return Required. One Copy of each Tax Return shall be Identical to the Version Submitted to the IRS, without Redactions. The Second Copy of each Tax Return shall be Redacted.

The Candidate shall Redact the following Information from the Redacted Version of Each Tax Return: Social Security Number, Home Address, Telephone Number, Email Address, Medical information, Names of Dependent Minors, Employer Identification Number, Business Addresses; Preparer Tax Identification Number, Address, Telephone Number, and Email Address of Paid Tax Return Preparers.

A Written Consent Form, signed by the Candidate, Granting the Secretary of State Permission to Publicly Release a version of the Candidate’s Tax Returns Redacted.

The Secretary of State shall prepare a Standard Consent Form Consistent With:

- The Secretary of State shall Review the Redacted Copy of each Tax Return Submitted by the Candidate to ensure that the Redactions Comply with the Requirements.

- Within Five days of Receipt of the Candidate’s Tax Returns, the Secretary of State shall make Redacted Versions of the Tax Returns Available to the Public on the Secretary of State’s Internet Website.

The Secretary of State may Remove the Public Versions of the Tax Returns following the Completion of the Official Canvas for the Presidential Primary Election. Thereafter, the Paper Copies of the Submitted Tax Returns shall be Destroyed as soon as Practicable, unless the Secretary of State has Received a Court Order, or a Lawful Written Request from a State or Federal Governmental Agency, Directing the Secretary of State to Preserve the Submitted Tax Returns.

The Tax Returns shall be Provided to the Secretary of State in Hard-Copy Form.









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