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PA's tax amnesty program plagued by weak IT and phone support

Summary: The state of Pennsylvania launched a Tax Amnesty program that runs April 26 to June 18, but the first day out of the gate is rough one from the technology and customer support perspective.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

The state of Pennsylvania launched a Tax Amnesty program that runs April 26 to June 18, but the first day out of the gate is rough one from the technology and customer support perspective.

How do I know? I received one of these tax notices. In a nutshell, I allegedly owe some amount of taxes from 2009. Oddly enough, this is the first I've heard anything from the state about anything delinquent so I'm a bit curious to see what the deal is (statement).

The notice tells me to go to www.PATaxPayUp.com and register or call a toll-free number. And then everything goes to IT and phone hell quickly.

First, I call the number. After all, I'd like to see what I allegedly owe before I register for tax amnesty right?

The call goes like this (short, edited version):

"Thanks you for calling...all of our agents are busy assisting other callers. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please call back later..."

And then.

Click.

PA's department of revenue and its tax amnesty unit (which from the sounds of things consists of one person, maybe two) hangs up on you. It doesn't tell you where you sit in the queue. The voice system doesn't even give you the option to wait for an hour (or two, or three, or four). It just hangs up. Click. Done.

Fortunately, the state tells you to go to the Web site, which is powered by SAP on the back-end. I go through the registration process. Create an account and then go to log on. I'll finally get to see what I allegedly owe. Woo hoo and I've only spent an hour on this.

And then the state delivers another gem---a runtime error.

At least I can contact the administrator should anyone pick up the phone. Oh that's right. Click.

End note: I've tried to log on five times with the same runtime error. On the phone, I've called 15 times (4 just to make sure I got the quote right). Let's hope Day 2 of this program improves.

Update: The same problems persist through Tuesday morning. I pinged Sharon Minnich, CIO of the Department of Revenue, about the issue.

Topics: Banking, Government, Government US, Mobility, Telcos

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33 comments
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  • PA = Microsoft

    PA's IT is a Microsoft haven so it's no wonder it's a mess.

    Nothing MS does scales well or works well, so it's no shocker a website run by the state of PA on Microsoft gets a big fat FAIL.
    itguy08
    Reply Vote

    • itguy08 = idiot.

      EPIC FAIL from birth.
      John Zern
      Reply Vote

    • does penndot have anything to do with this, at all

      maybe the same people running the hotline are the ones from penndot that screwed up i-78 on valentine's day 2007.
      hpbear149
      Reply Vote

      • RE: PennDOT's involvement

        I'm not sure. I don't think there are enough potholes involved yet to implicate PennDOT's handiwork.
        branchman67
        Reply Vote

    • PA=Microsoft

      Think anybody at PA government has heard of Apple? For that matter, has anyone in business & industry heard of Apple?
      martidm
      Reply Vote

      • Platform doesn't matter; funding and talent do

        You can provide the best tools on the market, but if you don't invest money in your IT infrastructure (personnel, training, h/w, s/w), it won't matter what the platform is. PA is notorious for completely undefunding their state IT - think the same budget philosophy as PennDOT's results with their roads. If you give them a shoestring then the project is as strong as a shoestring.
        ejhonda
        Reply Vote

  • RE: PA's tax amnesty program plagued by weak IT and phone support

    My husband got one of these notices too. We have been
    trying to log on and call all day. Email to contact
    them isn't working. (Email not currently available, it
    says.) Logging in keeps telling us that the pin and
    account number we are using, is incorrect. Calling
    results in the message and hang-up. We don't even know
    what this is about. We haven't had a business since
    the 90's and hadn't a clue until now that something
    associated with it might not be paid. I wonder if PA
    will extend the deadline for payment a day for each
    day we can't log on or talk to an actual person. I
    hope so!
    Chimerasrain
    Reply Vote

  • RE: PA's tax amnesty program plagued by weak IT and phone support

    Well, I got the same notice and had a similar experience. I'd sure like to know why they think I owe taxes since I haven't lived there since 2007 (and did file a 2007 return). The worst example of a call center application that I've ever seen - we're busy, call back later, click..
    The website wasn't much better. Created a login and then entered my Amnesty PIN and ID only to get to a screen that tells me nothing about the claim. Wow. The epitome if ineptitude.
    alweigand
    Reply Vote

  • RE: PA's tax amnesty program plagued by weak IT and phone support

    I agree with the above I got the same notice in the mail today and know nothing about paying money I pay my taxes on the date I get my W2 form I have never owed anything, I called the number provided twice and get the message about calling back and then click. I try to go the website it wont load. In my letter it says tax type: inheritance tax. My mother and brother died a year from each other but I never received anything from there deaths my father is living....if anyone has information about inheritance tax and could help...please advise

    thanks,
    KellySemelsberger
    Reply Vote

    • Inheritance tax

      When someone dies, if there's a will, then an Executor must be appointed, else, an Administrator. The estate cannot be closed until all known taxes and liabilities are paid. Interest and penalties accumulate. The State will not contact you until way after it's too late. Since you are unaware of the process, you should consult an attorney immediately to avoid prosecution.
      Bellhop
      Reply Vote

  • RE: PA's tax amnesty program plagued by weak IT and phone support

    My wife also received one of these notices. She has not
    lived in PA since 2007. Like the other posts, when we go
    through all of the hassles, it shows no money owed! Just
    BLANKS where there should be amounts. If you try to work
    through the blanks, it keeps telling me to "enter an
    amount." What do you mean?!?!?!?! You folks sent ME the
    notice! You supposedly know some "amount" we're
    allegedly owing! This is the reason we moved out of PA!
    I'll always root for the Steelers. . . . In another state! I'll be
    contacting my representative on the federal side.
    mhcopen
    Reply Vote

  • Told I was sent notice in "error"

    Received one as well today. Called 7-8 times before I was able to hold. Held for 68 minutes. Was able to create account and login, but everything was blank. Finally got a rep who told me it looked like possibly my husband hadn't filed a 1994 tax return? I advised he was in college in 1994. Long pause. She then stated there was no indication of any taxes owed, anywhere, and our notice must have been sent in error. She stated she would note my account and gave me her information to note that we spoke. I want that hour and a half back.
    isabel_oh
    Reply Vote

  • RE: PA's tax amnesty program plagued by weak IT and phone support

    Same problem! I never got through on the phone. I called the PA Dept of Revenue who said I need to follow the directions on the letter and set up an account. I did that (received the run time error twice before I could finally do it) After setting up the account, the screen indicated that I do not have any taxes or liabilities due...under the headiings was blank! So, I am sending them a letter to the the PO box with a copy of what showed on the screens. I've spent three hours with all this crap so far. Can I send the State of PA a bill for my time???
    OverTaxed
    Reply Vote

  • RE: PA's tax amnesty program plagued by weak IT and phone support

    well it looks like I'm not the only one I got The letter saying I owed For a business I closed in 2002 all taxes were paid then. The website has nothing but blank boxes. Nice going you oversized PA government. It just goes to show how well the pa departments of revenue?s records are. They have no clue what is coming or going. At least some you got thru on the phone what a joke. Nothing like coming home to find out you?re a tax evader.
    sjaracz
    Reply Vote

  • How do you know this isn't a huge Russian fraud against gullible taxpayers?

    I suppose if it was, then the web site and stuff would work - that's how you know!
    Robert Carnegie 2009
    Reply Vote

    • LOL

      Nice one! But of course the Russian mob has an IT budget that dwarfs Pennsylvania's.
      ejhonda
      Reply Vote

  • Insn't there an election soon?

    My wife received a notice yesterday. We were married in 2008, she changed her name. The notice came addressed to her former name. After several hours on being hung up on by the state we went on line. We were able to create an account and it showed that she owed a grand total of $0.00, nothing at all. We actually owed the state $51.00 in 2008 and I have the cancelled check that they cashed when we paid. Still have not been able to get in touch with the state this morning, but our county tax agents have confirmed that she doesn't owe anything and received this in error. We may also get a reminder post card. I wonder if this has anything to do with Jack Wagner running against Governor Ed's pal Dan Onorato for Governor in a couple of weeks? Could this be spun to Wagner's fault and discredit him right before the election? Probably not in PA...
    electionsoon
    Reply Vote

    • IDIOT

      Oh that is too funny.. "but our county tax agents have confirmed that she doesn't owe anything and received this in error."

      IF THE COUNTY HAS ACCESS TO YOUR STATE TAXES I AM SUING.. The fact is the State and COUNTY ARE SEPERATE ENTITIES ! You are not a very good liar.. Come on !
      ComeOnPeople
      Reply Vote

      • Regional/District Offices

        Thank you for your valuable feedback. I am sure you are aware that there are Regional and District offices of the PA Dept of Revenue all over the Commonwealth and one is in our county seat. If you try one of the Regional or District offices, you may be more likely to speak with someone.
        electionsoon
        Reply Vote

  • The real reason the system is so busy

    Of course, the real reason the system is so busy is because all the government officials are busy flooding the lines to try and get amnesty for all the taxes they haven't paid.
    branchman67
    Reply Vote
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