www.revenue.state.pa.us 1 enabling legislators’ staffs to provide basic taxpayer service march 31,...
TRANSCRIPT
www.revenue.state.pa.us1
Enabling Legislators’ Staffs to Provide Basic Taxpayer Service
March 31, 2011
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Agenda
• Revenue website & electronic services
• Revenue district offices
• Helpful hints for enhancing taxpayer assistance for constituents
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Revenue Website
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• Where’s my refund?
• Where’s my rebate?
• Online Customer Service
• Electronic Services
• Forms & Publications
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Where’s my refund?
Click here to be directed to a site where you can determine the status of a personal income tax refund by providing the taxpayer’s Social Security number and refund amount.
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Where’s my refund?
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Where’s my refund?
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Where’s my refund?
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Where’s my rebate?
Click here to be directed to a site where you can determine the status of a PTRR rebate by providing the applicant’s Social Security number, rebate amount, claim year and date of birth.
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Where’s my rebate?
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Where’s my rebate?
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Where’s my rebate?
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Online Customer Service
Click here to visit the Online Customer Service Center, where you can find answers to questions regarding state taxes in the searchable database or submit a question to customer support staff.
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Online Customer Service
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Online Customer Service
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Online Customer Service
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Electronic ServicesClick here to visit the e-Services Center, where individuals, businesses, and tax professionals can file returns and reports, make payments, view filing history, register businesses and file appeals electronically.
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Electronic Services
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Forms & Publications
Click here and navigate the sub-menus to access tax forms, instructions, brochures, guides, etc.
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Forms & Publications
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Forms & Publications
Or, if you know the form or publication you seek, type the form number into the search bar in the vertical menu on the left-hand side of the home page. For example, PA-40 or PA-1000.
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Forms & Publications
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Forms & Publications
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Website Feedback
• What works?
• What doesn’t work?
• What questions do taxpayers most commonly bring to you?
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Revenue District Offices
135 employees operating out of 15 offices provide proactive and reactive customer service.
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Revenue District Offices
Collections efforts are the primary focus of district office staff
• Secure tax forms and payments due the department by working with delinquent local taxpayers.
• Establish deferred payment plans.
• Pursue wage garnishment.
• Pursue tax liens, which protect the commonwealth’s interest in past-due taxes.
• Revoke sales tax licenses and cite businesses operating without sales tax licenses.
• Issue responsible party assessments against individuals’ responsible for sales tax & employer withholding (trust fund taxes) delinquencies.
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Revenue District Offices
Limited taxpayer assistance available at district offices
• Taxpayers with annual incomes of $35,000 or less may visit a Revenue district office for basic personal state tax filing help.
• Help at district offices is available from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Due to staff and resource limitations, taxpayers are encouraged to call ahead and make appointments, whenever possible
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Regional Legislative Outreach
• Wilkes-Barre: April 28
• Allentown: May 5
• Harrisburg: May 12
• Philadelphia: May 19
• Johnstown: May 26
• Meadville: June 1
• Pittsburgh: June 2
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Use Tax
Use tax is the counterpart of sales tax that is due when sales tax wasn’t paid.
• Purchases made over the Internet, through toll-free numbers, from mail order catalogs and from out-of-state locations are subject to use tax if sales tax was not paid.
• Non-recurring use tax liabilities should be reported on a Use Tax Return, PA-1, and full remittance is due on or before the 20th day of the month after the month in which the purchase was made.
• Any business that incurs use tax liabilities on a regular basis must register for a use tax account by completing a PA-100. Businesses registered for collection of sales tax are required to report and remit use tax liabilities on sales tax returns.
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Helpful Hints
Helpful hints for personal income tax assistance
• Encourage electronic filing wherever possible, which offers advantages such as error-reducing automatic calculators, instant confirmation of successful filing, faster refund processing and direct deposit options.
• Fact-check to make sure taxpayer provided accurate address (city & ZIP Code), Social Security number, etc.
• Ask the taxpayer if he/she made estimated payments and verify the primary SSN is the same as was used last year or matches that used for the payments.
• Double-check to make sure basic math errors are avoided.
• Use the Where’s My Refund website to check status.
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Helpful Hints
Helpful hints for Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications, to facilitate processing
• Encourage applicant to provide a copy of his PA-40, to ensure all income is accurately reported on PA-1000
• Ensure applicant provides copy of property tax payment or rent certificate.
• Double-check to make sure applicant provided accurate address, Social Security number, etc. (fact check)
• Double-check banking account information to ensure direct deposits may be made correctly.
• Make sure accurate school district code is reflected.
• Make sure applicant signs application.
• Use the Where’s My Rebate website to check status.
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Helpful Hints
Contact Information for You:• Forms Ordering Service: 1-800-362-2050
• PA Department of Revenue Office of Legislative [email protected] Strawberry Square | Harrisburg PA 17128Phone: 717.787.1007 | Fax: 717.772.4926
Contact Information for Constituents:• PTRR hotline: 1-888-222-9190
• Touch-tone, 24-hour, automated hotline for tax account and rebate status: 1-888-PATAXES
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Discussion & Questions