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Idaho Tax Commission seeks ITS upgrades, vehicle replacements and reports FAST collections exceeded projected ROI
Summary
At JFAC on Feb. 18, the Idaho State Tax Commission outlined FY2026 requests for ITS security and infrastructure, vehicle replacements (including light-duty trucks used to seize assets), and said FAST collections have exceeded the project’s return-on-investment target.
The Idaho State Tax Commission presented its fiscal 2026 budget requests to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 18, seeking funding for information-technology security and infrastructure, replacement vehicles, and ongoing contract inflation tied to its FAST tax-management software.
Analyst Christopher Lahoset summarized the commission’s requests, which included $300,700 in ITS security and infrastructure investments (laptops, monitors, switches and servers) and funding for vehicle replacements: one light-duty truck and nine additional vehicles described in the agency’s submission. Lahoset noted that the commission provided detailed vehicle lists, including mileage, models and use cases in a SharePoint file for the committee’s review.
Lahoset explained the light-duty trucks support the compliance program’s ability to seize motorized property (cars, trailers, ATVs) that may later be auctioned to offset taxes owed.
Commission Chairman Jeff McCray told legislators the FAST tax-management implementation came in on time, produced a return that exceeded projections, and that the commission has collected $34,287,416 since implementation, which Chairman McCray said exceeds the project’s projected return-on-investment.
Senators asked about rising maintenance and support costs for FAST. Lahoset summarized that the commission’s support costs rose from about $550,000 in 2024, an additional $154,000 in 2025, and a further $170,000 this year, and that the agency’s total requested FY2026 enhancement package would increase appropriation by $1,143,100 if all items are approved.
Chairman McCray said the agency would provide the committee with documentation on the program’s collections and the FAST project ROI. He also noted the budgetary request prioritizes upkeep of existing technology and assets to allow the commission to maintain collection and taxpayer-service capabilities.
