WASHINGTON, D.C. | June 2, 2021 — Yesterday, the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 804, making Maryland the first state, after the District of Columbia, to enact a tax whistleblower protection bill similar to the Internal Revenue Service Whistleblower Program.
In response to the massive trillions of dollars in tax revenue that goes unpaid on an annual basis, House Bill 804 was enacted without the Governor’s signature and goes into effect on October 1, 2021. Under the new law, whistleblowers who report fraud under the Maryland Tax Code to the Maryland Comptroller that leads to the recovery of money owed by a taxpayer will be entitled to receive a monetary award amount between 15% to 30% of what the State recovers.
National Whistleblower Center (NWC) Executive Director Siri Nelson said, “I congratulate Maryland’s General Assembly for this monumental victory for whistleblowers who report violations of the Tax Code in any state. Now, Maryland can be a shining example for the rest of the states to follow. With their lead, whistleblowers across the country who are vigilant about protecting taxpayers can begin to see real changes in protection.”
The bill was sponsored by Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr and Senator Cory McCray. NWC’s Policy Counsel, Karen E. Torrent advised General Assembly policy and testified in support of House Bill 804 before the Maryland House of Delegates and the State Senate prior to its passage out of both chambers.
For more information, please contact Nick Younger at nick.younger@whistleblowers.org.
