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Idaho State Tax Commission defends FAST maintenance spending and reports ROI from new collection system
Summary
Tax commission leaders told JFAC the FAST tax system requires ongoing maintenance and security costs and said the system has already generated more revenue than its implementation budget; the commission also requested vehicle replacements and ITS upgrades.
The Idaho State Tax Commission briefed the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Feb. 18 about technology and vehicle requests and defended ongoing maintenance costs for the agency’s FAST tax management software.
Chairman Jeff McCray said FAST is the commission’s tax management system and requires ongoing licensing, development and security work to keep pace with legislative changes and cyber requirements. "There is a lot of development work that goes into keeping up with legislative changes," McCray told the committee, citing House Bill 445 as an example of recent statutory changes that required system updates.
Committee members asked about the size and persistence of maintenance and support costs. Christopher LaHozet, the legislative analyst, noted the tax commission requested a number of ITS security and infrastructure investments for FY2026, including about $300,700 for security and infrastructure, plus laptop and peripheral replacements. LaHozet said if all enhancements are approved the commission’s FY2026 appropriation would increase by about $1,143,100.
McCray said the FAST implementation produced a positive return. He told the committee the project was completed on time, that the commission reverted $309,948 (26% of the allotted project budget) at close of FY24, and that the commission had collected $34,287,416 so far attributable to the project — figures he offered to share with the committee.
The commission also requested vehicle replacements and a light‑duty truck used by the compliance program to seize property that can be sold to offset tax liabilities. The analyst said the packet in the committee’s SharePoint includes a facility‑by‑facility breakout with mileage and vehicle uses.
No motions or votes occurred during the presentation. McCray closed the agency’s appearance by thanking staff and urging continued legislative support for staff compensation and technology funding to allow the commission to remain responsive to new assignments and population growth.
