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22 County Offices of the Registers of Wills Improve Customer Experience with Convenient
Online Services
Prior to August 2014, Register of Wills' customers did not have the option to order, purchase and receive probate-related documents in real-time online. To request probate documents, customers were required to remit payment in the form of cash or check, and provide a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Register of Wills office. Customers waited weeks or more to receive the requested documents.
In August 2014, a pilot program was launched in Calvert County to integrate payment services into their document management system. By the end of 2014, ten county Register of Wills offices were offering customers the flexibility to pay by credit card online and over-the-counter. In 2017, the program expanded to include payments for documents ordered from the
Register of Wills Estate Search website.
To date, 22 of the 24 Maryland counties now offer online, on-demand digital access to probate documents and/or walk-in credit card payments. Over 27,000 transactions equating to $1.1 million dollars in statutory fees have been securely processed and electronically disbursed directly to each county's specified bank account. Through a public/private partnership, NIC Maryland offered the flexibility and speed to market the localities needed to expand online services to constituents.
The fully-hosted Software-as-a-Service Payment Engine significantly reduces the PCI compliance burden and cuts costs for each individual office, without time spent on resources or infrastructure to accomplish. Payment devices are secure, pre-configured with a pin for encryption of data at the time of collection and in transit. Payments and document delivery are provided 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, providing immediate access to documents saving the customer drive and wait time.
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Maryland Offers Fast, Easy & Secure Online Services for Taxpayers
Maryland taxpayers can pay individual income tax, business sales and use tax, and business withholding tax online for the current and previous years with the secure, mobile-friendly Comptroller Online Tax Payment Service. This service is optimized for smartphone, tablet, or desktop use, giving taxpayers the flexibility to pay at home, in the office or on the go.
The 2017 tax return filing deadline is Tuesday, April 17, which coincides with the IRS deadline. Taxpayers are encouraged to file their returns electronically for the fastest possible processing of their claims and to ensure they receive all possible refunds. A list of approved vendors for use in filing your electronic return can be found at www.marylandtaxes.com.
If an income tax return is filed electronically by April 17, taxpayers have until April 30 to make a credit card payment online.
The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) recently released an enhanced version of Maryland Business Express that streamlines the annual business filing process in Maryland.
Businesses and tax preparers may file 2018 Annual Reports and Personal Property Tax Returns online through Maryland Business Express in three effortless steps. Filers register for an account, enter the required information and upload documents, and then submit payment. Registering for an account allows users to save their filing information to reference year after year. Tax preparers can also file multiple returns for different customers under one login. Maryland businesses with multiple locations are also now eligible to file online.
A Maryland personal property return must be submitted by April 15, 2018 for all businesses that are incorporated, qualified or registered to do business in the State of Maryland. This includes corporations, sole proprietors, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, business trusts, and real estate investment trusts.
These time saving online services accept all major credit cards and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with immediate filing confirmation once submitted.
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Maryland's Electric Vehicle Registry Prevents Stressing
the Grid
By 2025, seven million zero-emission vehicles are predicted to be on the roads according to a new study performed by the Edison Electric Institute, this represents 3% of all cars and light duty trucks in the United States. The study further predicts about 5 million charge ports will be required to support these vehicles, which could mean a significant investment in PEV charging infrastructure.
Home charging by a number of vehicles in one neighborhood could impact the local distribution system, thus affecting electricity service to surrounding homes. With the ever-increasing number of electric and hybrid vehicles on the road today, electric utility companies in Maryland needed a way to effectively plan for the availability and reliability of the electric power supply in specific geographic areas.
Maryland however, is ahead of the curve with an Electric Vehicle Registry portal that allows Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) to electronically deliver geographic locations of where electric vehicle home charging is likely to occur directly to Maryland utility companies.
The platform allows utility companies to provide MDOT MVA with the ZIP codes of the areas they serve, and in turn, MDOT MVA returns information on the electric and hybrid vehicles registered in those areas. Utility companies access the geographic data monthly and use this data to adequately manage the power system to ensure the reliability of service to the owners of electric vehicles and the surrounding areas. No personal information on the vehicle owner(s) is provided. The ability to track and plan for electric distribution networks reduces costs for the utility company that would otherwise be passed on to their customers.
In addition to cost and time savings, the service helps to promote environmental friendliness by encouraging the use of electric vehicles in Maryland. Consumers who purchase electric or hybrid vehicles save money at the pump and help reduce the dependency on oil as a dominant fuel source. Maryland is also working hard to expand its infrastructure across the state for charging stations to convince consumers that electric vehicles are a practical alternative to traditional vehicles. MDOT MVA is experiencing significant savings in time, resources, and hardware/ software costs and the utility companies are experiencing improved customer service.
The Electric Vehicle Registry was developed by NIC Maryland under the eGovernment self-funded contract as a free service with no cost to the state or Maryland constituents and has provided an estimated $125,000 in resource savings to MDOT MVA. By Web enabling the exchange of electric vehicle location data, utility companies can better allocate electric resources, reduce costs for their customers, and provide more reliable service to customers.
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NEW ENTERPRISE SERVICE OFFERING
Gov2Go is a personal assistant for government in an easy-to-adopt platform that is future ready. It delivers essential government services to citizens on any connected device. Gov2Go helps government fulfill their citizen's desire for interactions that are quick, easy, and stress free - all at minimal cost and low risk.
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NIC Maryland develops and supports digital government services without using taxpayer funds through a master contract with the State of Maryland. Maryland saves money with NIC's online applications that pay for themselves through a proven funding model.
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Janet Grard
General Manager
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Lan Pasek
DoIT Contract Administrator
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