Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Senate revenue committee approves optional convenience fee for parish e-file credit-card payments
Loading...
Summary
The Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs approved a Department of Revenue request to allow an optional convenience fee — charged on credit-card tax payments made through a new parish e-file system — and heard that vendor Justice Systems will adopt the department’s fee schedule.
The Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs on Jan. 15 approved a Department of Revenue request to permit an optional convenience fee for businesses that pay taxes by credit card through a new single-return parish e-file system.
Laura Lopez, Undersecretary at the Department of Revenue, told the committee the fee is intended as a convenience option for businesses to file and pay online with a credit card. She said the vendor, Justice Systems, has agreed to use the same fees the department charges on its own platform and that businesses may use the department’s alternate payment process to avoid paying the convenience fee.
During questions, Senator Luno asked whether the fee has a maximum. Lopez said the charge is 2.75 percent and referenced a minimum fee; the transcript’s phrasing for the minimum amount was unclear and the committee record does not specify a clear dollar minimum.
Senator Jenkins moved to approve the convenience fee; the committee approved the motion by voice when there were no objections. The record shows the item was approved without a recorded roll-call tally.
The committee took no further actions on implementation details during the hearing. Committee members approved minutes from prior sessions earlier in the meeting and then adjourned.
The Department of Revenue presented the item and Laura Lopez represented the agency at the hearing. The committee did not reference any statute or ordinance in the transcript record during the discussion.
