The first phase, launched in October 2019, incorporated three tax categories, including meals and rentals, nursing facility quality assessments and Medicaid enhancement taxes, representing roughly 9,000 taxpayers in the state.
The second phase launched the following year incorporated business profit, enterprise, interest and dividends and communication services taxes.
This third phase added tobacco, real estate transfer, private car and railroad, timber, excavation and utility property taxes and low- and moderate-income credit, accounting for some 148,000 taxpayers.
“We transitioned from a 25- to 30-year-old COBOL-based tax system to a more modern, easy-to-use system,” DRA Commissioner Lindsey Stepp said. “The portal improves customer service and allows taxpayers to pay their taxes without intervention from the department.”
To use the newly released portal, users must have previously filed a return, made a payment in the past five years, or received correspondence from the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration for any of the tax categories listed above.
Once a user’s account is set up, they can schedule estimated payments, view correspondence from the DRA and check the status of returns, payments, refunds and credit and web requests.
As for the timing of the launch, Stepp said, the pandemic didn’t slow down the timeline, which continued on pace and launched as initially planned.
The completion of the project is a result of a seven-year, $29.5 million contract between the department and FAST Enterprises. The contract also includes four years of support and maintenance.
Now that each phase is complete, the next step involves working with tax preparers to use the portal to help taxpayers file their taxes.
“One thing I’d like to do is work with tax preparers to use the portal,” Stepp said. “Taxpayers would be able to give tax preparers a certain level of access from view only to completing transactions on a client's behalf.”
It would also provide more functionality and make taxpayers’ lives easier by giving them access to everything all in one place, she said.
“Right now, it’s time for the department to reflect on what else we can do better,” Stepp added. “It’s time for us to grow.”
