The Children’s e-taxes
When Paul Bettencourt was elected tax assessor / collector of Harris County, Texas, 1998 - partly on the strength of his campaign pledge to obtain the Agency - he inherited an office, it seemed unlikely candidate a technology.For a long time, existing tax collection traditions, decades old office equipment and an almost total lack of funding and infrastructure, the notion of moving the office of the Internet age seems ridiculous.
But the need to improve the accuracy, security and simplicity of the collection of more than 2 billion dollars in taxes each year, has proved good incentive. After an intense development work, Bureau E-tax effort has succeeded: The circle country accepts its first line of the tax payment by credit card, in October 2000.
“We in the 20th century, as it was at the end,” said Bettencourt.
Far from classical, the efforts of Harris County representative of the recent trend towards electronic collection. Faced with an avalanche of paper forms and the need to collect and huge amounts of money, lots of state revenue and local services, opportunities to use the Internet to simplify the process of filing and speed the collection of different types of taxes.
Since its inception, Harris County’s collection system was $ 3.6 million in taxes paid by credit card online - a volume of dollars, exceeding the total amount of taxes from 10 to 14 Abgabenordnung branch office sites. More than anticipated volume is about 1 percent of all taxes while the first three months.
“We thought we would be in a million and a half of the first year, but the system has been such a success, it is like a virtual agency,” said Bettencourt.
With the boot system, Harris County was the only tax authority in the nation to offer online programs for two payments of tax and registration automatic. The office is responsible for 3.5 million auto-registration and taxes of 1.5 million accounts.
More than 18 states and a handful of local governments offer Internet-based electronic filing for individuals, experts or business taxes.
Taxpayers in 22 counties in Kansas, for example, paid about $ 225000 in tangible assets in line with taxes on their accounts of personal cheques of course State November-December meeting tax. The online tax program was launched by November 1 Kansas County Association and treasurer, it is for an expansion this year with the participation of other departments and an option for payment by credit card.
Increasing taxes online has its roots in the Federal Constitution-E-file program for the tax on individual income statements, prefaced by the Internal Revenue Service expanded in 1987 and four years later, electronic filing of the state is returned. States piggyback on federal returns, the IRS extends Bund / Country E-US program file is a relatively inexpensive way for the introduction of e-filing, often with impressive results.
“We have a lot of work in partnership with the IRS, and our program uses the same protocol as the federal program,” said June Summers Haas, Michigan’s Commissioner of revenue. In 1999, handles about 900000 Michigan and personal income tax returns with e-file program and a further 150000 its telefile system.
“We can start the process again faster, faster, we have recovery of refunds and we can employees spend less time in data entry. This allows us, our employees, make more positive Customer Service, “Said David Summers.
In conformity with generally accepted approach in line for the collection of tax returns, Michigan, are preparing to leave traditional taxation for the transmission of e-files.
“At the moment we only electronic filing through installer. We have not yet transposed the Internet connection yet,” said David Summers. “We are following the tip of the IRS.