Press Release
- Date:
- Thursday, May 03, 2001
- Contact:
- David Peikin
- Phone:
- (301) 918-0818
- Email:
- G1@schwartz-pr.com
State of Florida Department of Revenue Selects
Group 1 Software´s GeoTAX for Customized
Web-Based Tax Jurisdiction Application
Innovative Solution to Provide Timely and Accurate Tax Information for Communications Services Providers, Local Governments and Florida Citizens
Tallahassee, FL and Lanham, MD- The Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) and Group 1 Software (Nasdaq: GSOF) today announced a partnership for the state to utilize Group 1's GeoTAX system for Web-based tax jurisdiction assignment. The new multifaceted solution will help ensure that revenue from a new streamlined state telecommunications tax is accurately distributed to the governmental jurisdictions that should receive it. With the completion of this project, Florida will be the first state to respond to the provisions of the federal Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act regarding the establishment of databases of address listings by tax jurisdiction.
The new GeoTAX application will enable local governments to update tax jurisdiction information via the Internet, providing for timeliness and accuracy in tax collection. The jointly developed solution will facilitate implementation of and compliance with Florida's Communications Services Tax Simplification Law. Group 1 and the Florida DOR expect the project to be completed by July 2001, when the application will be online at http://www.myflorida.com/dor/.
The solution will enable state administrators to maintain accurate databases and allow local governments to post database changes, such as city annexations, continuously and securely via the Web for state approval. To ensure accurate taxing of consumers, communications services providers will have the ability to download the address listings database. Also, Florida residents will be able to enter an address and in response obtain tax jurisdiction and tax rate information. DOR will be able to access the solution to certify the accuracy of providers' tax jurisdiction assignment.
"This innovative application is another strong example of how DOR adapts proven tools from well-run businesses to deliver government services better, cheaper and faster," said Dr. Jim Zingale, executive director of the Florida Department of Revenue. "When complete, this new solution will help us provide improved service to Florida's citizens, businesses and local governments through increased access to high-quality, timely information, thereby optimizing tax jurisdiction assignment."
"We are pleased to have been selected by the DOR to develop this first-of-its-kind GeoTAX application," said Martin Sohovich, Group 1's GeoTAX product manager. "This solution will offer tremendous value to the DOR, local governments, communications providers, and Florida's taxpayers. With the passage of the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act, there is a demand for highly robust, secure applications for tax jurisdiction assignment and tax collection. Group 1 is well positioned to provide these solutions to businesses and governmental bodies."
The fully customized solution for Florida will incorporate Group 1's GeoTAX solution and its DataQuality.net service. GeoTAX is a comprehensive suite of tools that standardizes customer addresses and appends information regarding state, county, municipal place, and special tax jurisdictions, providing the most current, accurate tax jurisdiction assignment information. DataQuality.net is a real-time Web service that corrects and verifies address information and appends highly accurate geocodes for precise tax jurisdiction assignment.
Group 1 Software is a leading provider of software for data quality, marketing automation, customer relationship communications, and direct marketing applications. Group 1 supports MVS, VSE, AS/400, UNIX (including Linux), Windows NT, Windows 2000 and other operating systems and various computers. Group 1 has offices throughout the United States and in Canada, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and Latin America. The company is also represented in Asia and Australia.