By John Kaschak, CPA, CGMA, CISA | Pa. Department of Revenue

The following column was written by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue as part of its ongoing efforts to keep PICPA members apprised of the latest initiatives the department is working on to improve customer service.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (DOR) recently announced the launch of a new feature in e-TIDES, the online system that business taxpayers and tax professionals use to electronically file business-related tax returns. The new feature provides users with the option to receive all business tax correspondence from the department electronically, rather than through the U.S. Postal Service.

As part of Gov. Tom Wolf’s “Government That Works” goal, this initiative will save taxpayers and tax professionals time and money as the more efficient system delivers tax-related correspondence in real time.

In addition to customer-side savings, the DOR will save an estimated $1.1 million over the next five years by significantly reducing its costs for paper, inserts, envelopes, and postage. The department annually mails about 1.6 million pieces of correspondence to e-TIDES users.

The DOR moved to create this new electronic correspondence feature after hearing from taxpayers and tax professionals, many of whom use e-TIDES on a regular basis. The department is always looking for ways that it can improve customer service, and we expect this feature to be an important upgrade to the system we rely on for communicating with business taxpayers.

A set of instructions, paired with frequently asked questions, will help guide business taxpayers and tax professionals interested in the new electronic correspondence feature. That information is available on the DOR’s website.

Other important details:

• The only change with the new electronic correspondence feature is how your correspondence is delivered. When you enroll to receive your business tax correspondence electronically, it streamlines the process and allows you to access more information faster and more efficiently. You can view, download, and print your business tax correspondence at your own convenience immediately after it becomes available, saving valuable time.
• All business tax correspondence the DOR would normally send via the Postal Service is the correspondence you will be able to view electronically. Examples include, but are not limited to, licenses and assessments.
• Your correspondence will be available for the current calendar year and the prior three years. If you need correspondence not currently in the e-TIDES Document Center, contact the department at (717) 787-1064.

As noted above, this initiative began after the department received useful feedback from tax professionals, including members of the PICPA. In the coming months, we hope to continue those conversations and gather other ideas that will help the department continue to improve its customer service.

John Kaschak, CPA, CGMA, CISA, is the deputy secretary for taxation at the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. He can be reached at jkaschak@pa.gov.