Federation of
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CONTACT: JONATHAN LYON
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LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
WINS FTA AWARD FOR TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS

      (Washington, D.C., March 24, 2005) The Federation of Tax Administrators announced today that the Louisiana Department of Revenue is winner of the 2005 FTA Award for Technology Applications in State Tax Administration. 

      Presentation of the award will take place during the FTA Annual Meeting, June 13-15 in San Antonio, Texas.

      The Louisiana Department of Revenue DELTA Project was a multi-year effort to modernize and integrate revenue operations, affecting 20 tax programs. It established an enterprise-wide architecture allowing the Department of Revenue to operate more efficiently, improve service and increase revenues. Delivered on time and within budget – something of a miracle for a major integration project – the integrated tax system now permits department employees to accomplish tasks faster and to be more productive in their jobs.

      Judges cited the program as a "study in how tax administration ought to be carried out." They noted that that in spite of the broad scope and extreme difficulty of major change "the project was delivered within schedule against the planned timetable and costs … the timeframes within which the reengineered tax systems were phased in are impressive." They pointed to the breadth of change, noting that the project successfully addressed quality, customer service (including an improved quality of taxpayer contacts), cost reductions, cash management and enhancements in revenues collected.

      The Louisiana project also got high marks for its ability to be transferred to other state tax authorities, since it is based on the concept of a single integrated database of taxpayer information operating off of a server. The approach also minimized the pain of change and helped to control costs.

      The entries were judged by an independent panel consisting of Larry Westfall,  U.S. Treasury; Lissa Henderson, CACI, Inc.; and Steve Holden, University of Maryland.

      The Federation of Tax Administrators is a nonprofit organization composed of the tax and revenue departments of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City.  Its mission is to improve the standards and methods of tax administration.

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