'97 Dog Licenses Now Available

Albert Mazetis 
January 24, 1997 
Albert Mazetis, 67, Of East Main Street, Larksville, Died Friday At The 
Department Of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Wilkes-barre.

By JERRY LYNOTT; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Monday, January 27, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





The unavoidable task of paying Pennsylvania income taxes will be easier
this April with the introduction of new services such as electronic filing and
a toll-free telephone help line. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The changes, already in place, will help millions of filers meet the April
15 deadline, said state Secretary of Revenue Robert A. Judge Sr. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Pennsylvania has one of the lowest personal income tax rates in the
country and filing a return in the commonwealth should not be a difficult
process," Judge said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The 2.8 percent rate eliminates many of the deductions seen on the federal
level. Deb Snyder, spokeswoman for the Department of Revenue, said the state
constitution sets ground rules for even taxation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Pennsylvania has a nice flat tax," Snyder said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Residents and non-residents who work in the state can avoid the paperwork
of tax preparation and file by computer. But, the service is only available
through a tax practitioner and not yet in the home personal computer stage. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state return must be filed at the same time as the federal return when
using the electronic method. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The immediacy of electronic filing includes the benefits of faster
processing and direct deposit of refunds to the taxpayer's bank account. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It has other benefits, too. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's of major importance to the department because it's ultimately saving
the taxpayers money," said Snyder. Less paper is handled and stored,
considering the fact that last year the state processed 5.7 million returns. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "And there's less chance for error," Snyder added. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Taxpayers can get access to the revenue department on the Internet at
http://www.revenue.state.pa.us &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They also can call the FACT and information line at 1-888-PATAXES
(728-2937) for tax help that is free, automated, convenient and timely.
Callers can check the status of their returns and check on processing. They
also can request forms to be sent to them by fax or in the mail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state consolidated the forms for residents and non-residents into one
document, the PA-40 booklet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the second year, the booklet includes a payment voucher, PA-V, to be
used when money is owed to the state. Last year, more than a million taxpayers
used the voucher form. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The redesigned booklet also contains the Special Tax Forgiveness form
(Schedule SP) for low-income, working families who qualify for full or partial
tax relief. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Even with the changes, some basic guidelines remain the same, said Judge.
"The most important thing for taxpayers to remember is to always read the
instructions before completing their forms and to sign their forms before
sending them." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

State Tries To Ease Pain Of Tax Filing