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Comptroller Lierman highlights unclaimed property wins, tax-system modernization and staffing limits
Summary
Comptroller Brooke Lierman told the Eastern Shore delegation her office returned $121 million in FY25 through a revamped unclaimed-property system and outlined a plan to move individual taxes to a new platform in August; she warned the office needs more call-center staff (PINs) to handle increased casework.
Comptroller Brooke Lierman briefed the Eastern Shore delegation on Feb. 27 about agency reorganizations, modernization projects and taxpayer services, stressing both recent gains and operational limits.
Lierman described a new unclaimed-property system launched in October that she said improved electronic filing and customer access; the office returned $121,000,000 to Marylanders in fiscal 2025 and has started proactively issuing smaller checks to identified owners. “We sent back a $121,000,000 in the FY25 to Marylanders,” Lierman said, urging delegates to publicize the site to constituents.
The comptroller also detailed a broader IT modernization plan: dashboards for county-level federal spending, a Board of Public Works dashboard, and a major tax-system migration. “This August, we are launching a brand new tax system for all individual taxes — Tax Connect —” Lierman said, noting that August is the only acceptable month to change the system without delaying for another year.
Delegates asked about effects on small businesses and staffing. Lierman acknowledged a learning curve when systems change but said business tax modernization (launched Feb. 2024) ultimately reduced misapplied payments and collections notices. She warned, however, that the office is understaffed for call-center work and has requested more PINs (budgeted staff slots) to reduce casework backlogs: “If we were going to answer 80% of our calls within 5 minutes or less, we would need a 124 new PINs,” she said.
Why it matters: Modernizing taxpayer technology can improve accuracy and customer service, but the comptroller told legislators that staffing shortages limit the office’s ability to resolve constituent casework quickly. Delegates requested more follow-up on how the portal and Tax Connect will affect seasonal small businesses common on the Eastern Shore.
What happens next: Lierman said her office will continue publishing economic reports and dashboards and is open to legislative feedback as the tax-system migration proceeds this year.
