IDAHO EARNS TOP NATIONAL RANKINGS FOR ON-LINE ACCESS TO TAXPAYER SERVICES AND ELECTRONIC MAPPING TOOLS

Idaho Earns Top National Rankings For On-Line Access To Taxpayer Services And Electronic Mapping Tools

November 18, 2002

BOISE – The State of Idaho has received a number one ranking in the country for its use of digital technology allowing Idaho citizens to obtain taxpayer information and to submit returns and tax payments online.

In Part III of the 2002 Digital State Survey assessing how well state governments are using technology to improve services to citizens, Idaho received the top ranking in the Revenue and Taxation category citing the Idaho State Tax Commission’s advances in using Web-enabled technologies to reduce the burden of tax compliance for taxpayers, especially in the business sector.

One such recent Idaho application is what the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA) called a "cool idea." The Sept. 9 issue of the FTA TaxExpress, said "Idaho just barely beat New York to the finish line to become the first state to offer truckers a way to file their International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) tax returns and payments for free through the Internet."

Interstate truckers based in Idaho can now do all their fuel tax report and complete their fuel tax online. IFTA allows truckers to file only with their base states, which then share mileage information and tax revenues with each state or province the truckers cross.

Other states along with Idaho receiving a number one rating were Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, and South Dakota. The assessment is conducted nationally by the Center for Digital Government, Sacramento, which announced results the first of November. The State has participated in the survey since 1998.

Approximately 25 percent of all Idaho individual state income tax returns are filed electronically. Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) and credit card processes account for approximately 40 percent of all dollars remitted to the agency. Of approximately 155,000 electronic returns, 10 percent of Idaho taxpayers have chosen direct deposit. Taxpayers may also view the status of their income tax refund through the Tax Commission’s website.

The Survey also ranked Idaho 10th nationally for its progress in applying sophisticated geospatial mapping tools and the Internet to improve transportation systems. In the GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Transportation category, Idaho did well along with the states of New York, South Dakota and Virginia for its use of mapping and management tools in storing and analyzing data for economic development, law enforcement, fire and transportation, and for intelligent transportation and transportation systems.

The Idaho Geospatial Committee (IGC) is responsible for GIS coordination in the State and is made up of 16 representatives of federal, state, local and tribal governments; the State’s university system; and private companies. Idaho received high marks for its formation of a GIS Clearinghouse. INSIDE (Interactive Numeric & Spatial Data Engine) Idaho was established at the University of Idaho Library in the late 1990s.

The Idaho Transportation Department was also acknowledged for its utilization of GIS tools, as part of its State Transportation Improvement Program, to display and examine the relationships between proposed construction, existing conditions, and environmental rehabilitation projects.

ITD is also conducting a pilot project to automate the field data collection activities of the road maintenance crews. Up until this year, the maintenance crews collected all information about daily work and road condition in hard-copy diaries. This new pilot project is employing the use of hand-held data collectors that use both GPS and GIS technology. Once this project has been evaluated successfully, the department anticipates using similar technology for all field crew operations.

Earlier this year, the State and the Department of Health and Welfare was ranked 23rd nationally in Part I of the survey in the Social Services category for its availability of online information regarding program eligibility, applications procedures and the application of digital technologies, such as electronic benefit transfer systems.

The survey is among the nation’s most recognized and respected studies and is held in conjunction with Government Technology Magazine and The Progress & Freedom Foundation. This is the first time Idaho has received a number one rating in the survey. Last year, the state earned a fourth place rating nationally in the Management and Administration category. Idaho has steadily improved its rankings over the past several years due to strategic IT planning and collaborative efforts among state agencies to wisely use technologies to improve services and information to citizens.