Chapter 2
Finding the Right Tax Software
Chapter 1
Online Tax Collection
Chapter 2
Finding the Right Tax Software
Chapter 3
Improving Tax Compliance
Chapter 4
Increasing Tax Revenue
Chapter 5
Collecting Multiple Tax Types
When it comes to tax filing and collection, it’s no secret that local governments and their businesses need an intuitive solution that removes the headache of the many antiquated, manual elements inherent to the process so both parties can get back to helping their community thrive.
Given the degree to which manual, repetitive processes slow down and complicate filing and collection, many governments are turning to an automated software solution. This software helps to streamline manual processes, eliminate repetitive tasks, remove human mathematical errors, and provide an easy-to-understand, paperless filing system for businesses.
With several choices in the market, it’s important to find the right tax collection software that suits your needs. So, where do you start? Here’s an in-depth look at some of the biggest questions to consider when incorporating tax collection software into your current collection processes.
Are Your Current Tax Collection Processes as Optimized as They Could Be?
Ask yourself these questions. Does your current system streamline tax billing, filing, and collection processes while providing consistent and effective services to residents and local businesses? Does it offer specific applications to handle the unique processes and requirements associated with the tax laws specific to your individual state or jurisdiction?
Whatever solution you choose, the system should help to reduce (if not eliminate) the amount of valuable time that staff spend manually processing paper tax filings. Imagine what your teams could accomplish if they no longer had to spend time checking for math errors or calculating missed revenue due to penalties or interest. The case for optimization through automation is clear.
Are You Using the Right Tax Software for Your Needs? How Do You Know?
Even if your current tax collection software system has eliminated a lot of manual steps or increased your revenue stream, there are still other options that have even more to offer.
The GovOS tax solution, for instance, includes things like comprehensive support to both your jurisdiction staff and the residents and businesses filing in your community. The paperless remittance of an online filing system can reduce your jurisdiction’s paper processing by 95% and transform your once traditional paper-based tax collection into one streamlined, paperless process.
A solution should also provide extensive reports that can be accessed in real-time and allow users to view all remittance data as soon as it’s submitted or saved in progress. This is all extremely beneficial to those managing the tax collection process and the individual businesses filing those taxes.
This brings up a critical point to be mindful of as you go through this software selection process—carefully consider whether the solution you decide on mutually benefits residents, businesses, and your local government in a way that will allow your community to thrive.
Does Your Current Tax System Automate Every Step of the Process? It Should.
Many state and local jurisdictions have some sort of online system for tax collection that may seem adequate on the surface, but many tasks remain manual. Any jurisdiction operating in this way should strongly reconsider. Repetitive tasks and manual workflows that require human intervention should be automated.
An online filing system can help you automate tax form assignments, remind business users of all outstanding liabilities, and put tax collection on auto-pilot so businesses don’t have to wonder if they’ve already filed in a given period or what amount is due when.
Automation also reduces the burnout caused by the many manual, repetitive tasks baked into your current process. Less burnout means that overall accuracy improves, leading to greater compliance, fewer penalties for businesses, and increased revenue streams for state and local governments.
For businesses, having an automated online filing system with intuitive forms and auto-calculations that let them submit everything directly to their local government is incredibly beneficial.
Can Your Current Solution Also Process Business Licenses in the Same System?
With a growing number of new businesses and multiple industry-specific licenses and taxes to account for, more local governments are choosing software that allows business owners to complete tax filing and licensing tasks within the same system.
For jurisdictions that collect tax revenue from businesses, having one system for business licensing and tax filing means local governments can deliver a better user experience to business owners and improve process inefficiencies for staff.
Combining business licensing and tax gives staff a single source of truth for compliance. Separate, a business could be in the licensing system but not in the tax one—or vice versa. However, this becomes impossible when they are combined, removing the gaps some businesses fall through.
Governments that implement this kind of system can expect to experience improved compliance monitoring, increased revenue collection, better reporting capabilities, and significant time savings.
With one system where business owners can go to complete licensing and tax filing tasks, jurisdictions save time and resources that would otherwise have been spent navigating complex and confusing requirements.
By simplifying the paperwork and bureaucracy involved in starting and operating a business, local governments can encourage greater compliance and help entrepreneurs focus on what really matters to them—seeing their business flourish.
Maximize Revenue and Simplify Payments
Watch this short video to learn how governments can streamline tax and compliance processes.