Treasurer McCord Sets Out to Make Important Tax Appeal Board More Accessible, Useful to Public
Unveils Matters of Appeal, a regular newsletter update on the Board of Finance and Revenue
Harrisburg, July 9, 2012- Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord today announced a new series of steps to provide a taxpayer advocate and increase the user-friendliness of a state board that serves people and businesses as part of the Commonwealth's tax appeals process.
The Treasurer unveiled the first edition of Matters of Appeal, a new newsletter from the McCord Treasury to highlight the work of Pennsylvania's Board of Finance and Revenue, or BF&R.
Treasurer McCord explained BF&R is the second level of appeal for Pennsylvania tax decisions – after the Department of Revenue's Board of Appeals. The Treasurer serves as BF&R's Chair by virtue of his elected office.
“Taxpayers and business leaders who question decisions by the Department of Revenue often do not know what appeal options are available to them, or they are confused by the process,” said Treasurer McCord. “We want the public to be able to navigate the 'ins and outs' of the tax appeals process easily, which is why we designated one of the existing board employees as the new Taxpayer Advocate. Her sole job is to lend a hand to those filing appeals.”
The first edition of Matters of Appeal offers:
- An overview of BF&R;
- An outline of the tax appeal process;
- Directions on how to file an appeal with BF&R;
- Contact information for the new taxpayer advocate; and
- Information on the additional services BF&R provides, such as how to process liquid fuel refunds.
Treasurer McCord added that he expects to announce additional improvements to BF&R in the coming months, including online publication of timely opinions (subject to the approval of a majority of the Board members), streamlined appeal review procedures, and a more taxpayer-friendly petition form that can be completed and submitted electronically.
“The improvements we expect to unveil will all help taxpayers, and many of those who will be helped most are job-creating owners of small businesses,” explained Treasurer McCord. “Working in a bipartisan fashion, we are making this board a more efficient, user-friendly operation – and a helpful resource for service-oriented tax-professionals as well as the public generally.”
The Board of Finance and Revenue (BF&R) is an administrative tax appeal board that hears and decides appeals matters of sales and use taxes, corporate taxes, personal income taxes, and other miscellaneous taxes. BF&R is generally the second level of appeal for Pennsylvania tax decisions, reviewing decisions of the Department of Revenue's Board of Appeals.
The board consists of the State Treasurer (Chair of the board), Auditor General, Attorney General, Governor's General Counsel, and the secretaries of Revenue and of the Commonwealth.
Additionally, BF&R selects financial institutions to hold Commonwealth money, and it sets the interest rate those institutions must pay for state deposits. BF&R also processes liquid fuel tax refunds for various entities permitted by law such as farmers, volunteer fire and ambulance service companies, municipalities, and schools.
To view the first issue of Matters of Appeal and to learn more about BF&R, visit www.patreasury.gov/bfr.html.
Media contact: Elizabeth Foose, 717-787-2991 or news@patreasury.gov
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