IRS Extends Deadline for Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments; Filers Can Pay By Credit Card Over Internet or Telephone Through Official Payments Corp

Business Wire, Sept 20, 2001

Business and News Desk Editors

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2001

Due to the terrorist attacks, the IRS has extended the deadline for third quarter estimated tax payments to Monday, September 24, 2001.

Official Payments Corporation (Nasdaq:OPAY) announced today that filers would be able to use the company's IRS-authorized Internet and telephone payment channels to file and pay Form 1040-ES (Estimated Tax for Individuals) through midnight on Monday. Use of these systems eliminates the need to mail in a paper form. Payments can be made on the Internet at www.officialpayments.com or by calling 800/2PAY-TAX. Full details on disaster-related tax deadlines extensions can be found in IRS notice 2001-61 and 2001-63 at the IRS web site at www.irs.gov.

"Taxpayers who were unable to meet the September 17 quarterly tax payment deadline can use our systems to make their payment by credit card through midnight on Monday, September 24," said Thomas R. Evans, Chairman & CEO of Official Payments. "We offer a fast, convenient and secure service that enables consumers to make these payments from any computer or touch-tone telephone," Evans added.

Official Payments charges taxpayers a convenience fee for processing these credit card transactions. For example, a taxpayer who owed a quarterly payment of $575 and charged their taxes would find a total of $591 on their credit card statement: $575 for the tax bill and $16 for the convenience fee. American Express, Discover Card, and MasterCard are the credit cards accepted by the program. Taxpayers using credit cards with bonus rewards programs can, depending on their card's program, earn rewards, points, and cash-back or airline frequent flyer miles for paying their taxes.

About Official Payments Corporation

Official Payments Corporation (Nasdaq:OPAY) is the leading provider of electronic payment options to government entities. The company's principal business is enabling consumers to pay their government taxes, fees, fines, and utility bills by credit card, via Internet and telephone. The company is unequaled in market penetration and national footprint. Official Payments has agreements to collect and process credit card payments with the Internal Revenue Service, 18 state governments, the District of Columbia, and over 900 county and municipal governments in 48 states across the United States. In 2000, Official Payments collected and processed over $925 million in federal, state and local government payments.

Official Payments was founded in the San Francisco Bay area in 1996. Thomas R. Evans, the former President & CEO of the Internet company GeoCities, became Chairman & CEO of Official Payments in the summer of 1999. Mr. Evans brought Official Payments public in November of 1999, raising $80 million in its IPO on the NASDAQ national market. The company's success in new client acquisition, increasing business with its existing clients and in building consumer awareness can be attributed to the combination of an enormous market opportunity with a highly skilled and experienced management and staff, aggressive sales and marketing, and a core competency in developing and implementing leading-edge technical systems.

Note: Official Payments Corp. and the Official Payments Corp. logo are service marks of Official Payments Corporation.