Tax department highlights Direct File, IT modernization and Secure Choice rollout in testimony

Acting Commissioner Ball described multiple administrative and IT initiatives the department is implementing as part of the executive budget and ongoing modernization work.

Ball said New York participated in the IRS Direct File pilot and that the state's Direct File tool allowed 14,000 New Yorkers to file state returns for free in last year's pilot. The commissioner described this year's expanded Direct File eligibility (single filers up to $200,000; joint filers up to $250,000) and said the department's mobile‑friendly app has produced fast filings and high satisfaction rates.

On broader IT work, Ball said the department is in year four of a five‑year replatforming of core systems and is rolling out a new wage and withholding filing system to process estimated 600,000 first‑quarter wage reports covering roughly 14,000,000 employee records. The new Real Property System Online (RPSO) will replace legacy assessment software used by assessors.

Ball also described Secure Choice, a state‑sponsored retirement savings program for employees whose employers do not offer retirement options. She said employers without other retirement plans will be required to make Secure Choice available beginning with a limited pilot in June and a phased wider rollout in the fall; the program provides payroll‑deduction savings with federal and state tax benefits. The commissioner said freelancers and independent workers will be included later after initial employer interfaces are in place.

Committee members asked about timelines, program administration and data security. Ball said the program administrator will handle core accounting under board supervision and that the state works with the Office of Information Technology Services and the chief cybersecurity officer to safeguard tax data.