At the 2009 Ontario Public Service Showcase, the ONT-TAXS Online (TAP) Team won the Merit Award in the area of Government Modernization. Taxpayer Access Point, or TAP, is a companion product to GenTax® that gives taxpayers the ability to file returns, make payments and maintain their accounts over the web. The “Government Modernization” category includes initiatives in which information technology has played a critical role in providing business value while enabling significant organizational transformation. Over 150 entries throughout Ontario provincial and local government were submitted.

A $22 million state tax collection system upgrade is already paying big dividends, according to West Virginia Tax Commissioner Christopher Morris. The state collected $125.9 million from past due accounts last year – an all-time record, Morris said. Before the state began installing the new system in 2006, annual past due account collections were in the $82 million to $91 million range.

Paying taxes is never an enjoyable experience, but the province is trying to make the process easier for businesses, the parliamentary assistant to the provincial Minister of Revenue told the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday.