PENNSYLVANIA

Marketing

MARKETING OUR PRODUCTS

TARGET GROUP: TAX PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITYWRITTEN COMMUNICATIONSTAX UPDATEELF FAST FACTS WRITEUP INSERTED IN PACKAGE XQUARTERLY NATP NEWSLETTER ARTICLE REVENUES HOME PAGE

PRESENTATIONSIRS NATIONWIDE TAX FORUMDOR FALL TAX SEMINARSIRS/PA E-FILE FOR BEGINNERS SEMINARS PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

TARGET GROUP: TAX PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

MALL DAYS

MALL DATES ANNOUNCED IN TAX BOOKLETSSPECIAL INVITATIONS SENT TO MEDIAPA/IRS TAX ASSISTANCEGIFTS TO TAXPAYERS

10 MALLS AND 30 DAYS LATER, ITS TIME TO GO HOME!

FARM SHOW COMPLEX OUTREACHFIVE SHOWS RUNNING DECEMBER THROUGH MARCHSTAFFINGATTENDANCE

FARM SHOW COMPLEX OUTREACH

PRESS RELEASES

JANUARY 7 - 2000 PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOWJANUARY 19 PA DIRECT FILE FEBRUARY 7 MALL OUTREACH PROGRAMMARCH 2 PA DIRECT FILE UPDATE

PRESS RELEASES

APRIL 4 ANNOUNCEMENT OF MILLIONTH TELEFILER

INTRODUCED PA.DIRECT.FILE TO COLLEGE STUDENTSE-MAILS TO PUBLIC RELATIONS PEOPLE AT THE 14 STATE SCHOOL SYSTEMSPRESS RELEASES TO REMAINDER OF PA UNIVERSITIESTOP 10 REASONS

INTERNAL PROMOTION OF PA.DIRECT.FILEOFFICIAL TIME OUT TO FILE YOUR STATE TAXES! DISTRICT OFFICE CONTEST.

PAIDA D V E R T I S I N G

AT THE MOVIES

Debra CoombsE-mail address: dcoombs@revenue.state.pa.us(717) 787-8377

Introduce myself

PA Dept of Revenue

Chief of Pipeline Operations

Manager of PIT e-fileFor Fed/State e-file, marketing is geared towards the tax professional community. However, with the significant increase in those taxpayers who have chosen to file on-line over their pcs, we recognize that more emphasis needs to be placed on marketing e-file to the taxpayers.

We get the word out to the professional community in writing several different ways:

PIT e-file initiatives and changes were addressed in our bi-monthly PA Tax Update Newletters issued Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb. These newsletters are sent to all tax professionals on Revenues mailing list.

ELF (e-file) Fast Facts were included in the Departments PIT Package X mailing in December.

Each year the Department writes an article for the NATPs quarterly newsletter.

We have lots of information available for EROs, as well as taxpayers on our web site.Approved software for tax professionalsOn-line approved softwareElf Fast FactsElf HandbookE-file questions and answersE-file brochures geared towards taxpayers and EROs

We firmly believe that when given a chance, we need to discuss our e-file program with tax professionals. Each time we are invited to speak, we make every effort to do so.

IRS Nationwide Tax Forum in AC

Revenue conducts Fall Tax Seminars that are sponsored by colleges and professional organizations throughout Pennsylvania. They are all day seminars with various topics. Last year we featured electronic filing initiatives as one of our topics. The IRS spoke on Federal e-file and we talked about our e-file, pa direct file, and business tax registration internet programs. We conducted 14 seminars in total, with approximately 1,400 tax professionals in attendance. While interest in e-commerce topics has grown over the last couple of years, e-filing is a hard sale to most of the tax professionals who attended our seminars.

We joined with the IRS in hosting three free e-file for beginners seminars. PGH/Western, Phila/Eastern and Hbg/Central PA. A couple hundred new e-filers attended the meetings, with the highest attendance in Phila.

CPE credits were given for attending both the Fall Tax Seminars and the e-file for beginners seminars.

FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW PA DOR WENT TO MALLS LOCATED THROUGHOUT PAANNOUNCE THE MALLS AND DATES ON THE FRONT COVERS OF OUR BOOKLETS.

SPECIAL INVITATIONS WERE MAILED TO HEADS OF THE MEDIA IN THE MALL AREA. Were back, even better. . . And youre invited!Come and experience free tax filing with one of our paperless options. Try pa.direct.file, a new way to file your state personal income taxes online!

At most mall locations we had media coverage from local radio and tv stations as well as newspapers.

IRS reps joined PA DOR to provide one-stop tax assistance.

We gave five scratch off Lottery tickets to all taxpayers 18 years and older who chose to use one of our paperless options to file their taxes (6,080 tickets).We visited 10 malls for a total of 30 days.

During that period, the Department served 6,318 people by preparing returns, answering tax questions, and providing forms. We prepared 1,878 returns, of which 1,093 were filed electronically ( by TeleFile or pa.direct.file).

Pay attention. This is Bob. Im going to tell you a story about Bob later so take a good look at him now.5 SHOWS DEC THROUGH MARCHPA CHRISTMAS & GIFT SHOW 12/1-12/5 PA FARM SHOW 1/8 TO 1/13 (Closest thing PA has to a State Fair)PA AUTO & BOAT SHOW 1/26 TO 1/30EASTERN SPORTS & OUTDOOR SHOW 2/5 TO 2/13 (Didnt do this show the first year. A tax booth at a show where weapons are available.)PA HOME BUILDERS SHOW 2/26 TO 3/5Most shows opened between 9:00 and 10:00 am and closed between 9:00 to 10:00 pm, making for very long days.

This was our fourth year at the Farm Show Events. No additional positions were created for staffing the booth. Staffing is shared from our PIT processing Bureau, our customer service office, and our district office bureau. We required at least two DOR employees at all times, along with Reps from the IRS.

Attendance at Christmas show 125,000; Farm Show 500,000; Auto/Boat Show 75,000; Sportmans Show 250,000; Home Show 75,000.We have our own booth which is fairly simple to set up and tear down. We advertise all our services with signs hung on the booth. We have IRS logos as well as our e-file logos.

We offered tax assistance, provided forms, explained and demod our electronic initiatives. We handed out note pads with all our electronic logos and pertinent telephone numbers and internet addresses. Reaction from some people. FROM: Well its about time, I get something from you folks. You take enough of our money! TO No way am I taking something from you people. Theres probably a bug in it TO Wow. You saved me a call or a trip to get forms. This is great.

The Department of Revenue booth will feature information about many of the electronic filing options, including the new free Internet filing (www.pa.direct.file) and TeleFile services.

1/27 Electronic services save time, money and paper --Secure filing and faster refunds guaranteedHARRISBURG (Jan. 19) - Secretary of Revenue Robert A. Judge Sr. today kicked off electronic filing tax season by demonstrating a new service for taxpayers: free Internet filing with pa.direct.file. COVERAGE ON TV NEWS AND IN PAPERS PA CABLE NEWS NETWORK BROADCASTED CONFERENCE ON NUMEROUS DAYS AT VARIOUS TIMES.

2/7 -- DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE THIRD ANNUAL MALL OUTREACH OFFERS TAXPAYERS SPECIAL CHANCE TO FILE AND WIN. Over 200,000 taxpayers already filed paperless, electronic return.

3/2 -- PENNSYLVANIA'S FREE INTERNET TAX FILING EXCEEDS LAST YEARS TOTAL In just five weeks, more than 21,000 taxpayers have filed using the free service. Last tax season, 20,000 taxpayers used purchased software to file over the Internet. FIGURES ON TELEFILE AND E-FILE RETURNS INCLUDED. Web site address given.

4/4 -- -(April 4) -- TELEFILE REACHES MILLIONTH-FILER MILESTONE Still time to file using electronic options

Depty Press Secretary delivered PA Gift Basket to our millionth TeleFilers, Richard and Mary Ann Witner or Perkasie whose daughter did their return for them over their speaker phone. A 45 minute drive took the Depty Press Secretary 1 hour 45 minutes due to the Coal Region accent of the person who gave her directions. This persons pronunciation of Pennsylvania is Pennsylwania. While the Witners live on Vine Street, the press secretary tried in vane to find Wine street.

FREE AND EASY WAY TO FILE YOUR STATE TAXES ONLINE!Top 10 Reasons Why College Students Should Use pa.direct.file To File Their State Taxes10. With pa.direct.file you never have to worry about it getting lost in the mail or remembering to mail it! A confirmation number lets you know that the Department has received it.9. No computer? Dont worry! You can use pa.direct.file from any Internet accessible computer. Go to the library, computer lab, or even ask your roommate.8. Getting a refund? Have it directly deposited into your checking account in 2 to 3 weeks!7. Owe money? ACH debit will automatically withdraw it from your account when you want! You can file now and wait until the very last minute, April 17th, to pay it.6. Pa.direct.file is easy. Hyperlinks are available for assistance if needed.5. You can print your return & show your parents. (Otherwise they may never believe you.)4. No paper to lose or spill things on! Youll never have to say the dog ate it again.3. Failed math? Thats o.k. We do the math for you! 2. Pa.direct.file is FREE! You dont even need a stamp. (Save your change for laundry day.)AND THE #1 REASON WHY YOU SHOULD USE PA.DIRECT.FILE TO FILE YOUR STATE TAXES Its available 24 hours a day 7 days a week!(We know how crazy college life can be!)So now, are you ready to file pa.direct.file?

All DOR employees were greeted by referees one morning in our Lobby. The referees handed out Official Time Out packets to employees. The packets explained that employees could designate one of two days to take 45 minutes on state time to file their taxes via pa direct file. E-mails were periodically sent to employees reminding them of the official time out. Only 32 employees took advantage during working hours. Because the dates were 2/15 and 3/15, many expecting refunds had already filed.

The Secretary of Revenue offered to host a Pizza Party for the District Office with the highest percentage of returns filed via pa.direct.file. To show you how much PA DOR employees value free food, the district office competition for pizza resulted in over 24,000 of the 58,000 pa.direct.filed returns 41%. We paid Keystone Displays $400 to design this Ad and the following slide.

This ad was on the inside cover of Movie Times Magazines Spring 2000 edition. The magazine in produced by National Cinema Corporation to all movie theatres in PA.This slide was shown during March and April on movie screens in AMC Theatres through General Cinema Corporation. It was shown in 75% of the Megaplex Theatres and 48.34% of the total movie theatres in PA. It was shown on 301 different screens 5 or 6 times before each movie. The Slide Show Duplication and Air Time cost us $38,743.

Once again, e-filing grew in PA. We topped one million for the first time.

Lessons learned. Talk about all alternative filing programs any time you can and to any audience available. With the growth of on-line filing, Fed/State e-file, PA has to include Fed/State in direct taxpayer marketing. We need to more aggressively pursue different venues to get more e-filing from tax professionals.