Alabama to Accept Credit Card Payments of Taxes Via Internet and Telephone - Brief Article

ISP Business, Sept, 2000

Official Payments Corp. announced the company has signed an agreement with the Alabama Department of Revenue to collect balance-due and delinquent income tax payments by credit card, via Internet and telephone.

In the future, Alabama citizens will be able to make these payments over the Internet by visiting the Department of Revenue's Internet site at www.ador.state.al.us/ or www.officialpayments.com, or via telephone by calling (800)-2PAY-TAX. The new payment channel is not currently operational, but it is scheduled to be launched this fall. The state will include information about the new payment option in tax forms that will be mailed to citizens in January 2001. Official Payments provides similar services to the Internal Revenue Service, the District of Columbia, and the sates of Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Oklahoma.

"We are delighted to add Alabama to our growing list of government clients," said Thomas R. Evans, chairman and CEO of Official Payments Corp. "Alabama joins nine other states, over 550 municipalities, and the Internal Revenue Service in providing their taxpayers with flexibility and choice in satisfying their tax obligations. Our systems are proven to be convenient, secure, and reliable, and they are provided at no cost to the state government," Evans added.

Official Payments will charge Alabama taxpayers a convenience fee for processing these credit card transactions. For example, a taxpayer who owed Alabama $900 and charged their taxes would find a total of $922.50 on their credit card statement: $900 for the tax bill and $22.50 for the convenience fee. American Express, Discover Card, and MasterCard are the credit cards accepted by the program.