Franchot Holds First-Ever Online Chat

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 10, 2009) – Today, Comptroller Peter Franchot released the transcript from his online chat with Marylanders, conducted yesterday. From his computer in Annapolis, the Comptroller took questions from taxpayers in all regions of the state and was able to answer their tax questions as the clock ticks down on this year’s filing season.

“One of my top priorities is to ensure that my agency is as efficient, effective, and as innovative as possible. We take great pride in our reputation as the best Comptroller’s Office in the nation, and we want to take our standards for exceptional taxpayer service to an even higher level,” said Comptroller Franchot. “This chat is just another example of how we are using the latest technologies and expanding our service delivery options.”

This was the first of its kind chat held by the Comptroller’s Office and proved very successful. Participants signed in via a link on the Comptroller’s Web site and the questions covered topics including refund checks, military benefits, energy efficient tax credits, and how student loans are handled by the tax codes. Participants who, due to the high traffic, were not able to post their questions online during the hour-long chat, will have their questions answered via a special email account set up for chatters.

The Comptroller expressed his desire to have future chats with Marylanders throughout the year to help answer questions about taxes and the state’s economy.