The Keystone Collections Group website on Tuesday. (Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com)
Keystone Collections Group, the contractor that collects some local taxes for numerous Bucks County municipalities, acknowledged experiencing “intermittent connectivity issues” in recent days that impacted online earned income tax return filing.
The problems left many taxpayers unable to access the system in the key hours leading up to Tuesday’s tax deadline, as previously reported by this news organization.
In a statement released late Wednesday, Collections Group said it “immediately investigated the disruption and worked diligently to fully restore online availability.”
The company assured residents that those whose online filing was delayed due to the technical difficulties will not be charged late filing fees.
“We are letting residents know that if their online filing was delayed, they will not be charged late filing fees. We will continue to honor taxpayer extension requests. It is important to know that the vast majority of taxpayers were unaffected,” the statement read.
The company’s statement comes after numerous Bucks County residents reported problems logging in to the e-file and pay system on Monday and Tuesday.
Tax collectors and municipal officials also reported receiving complaints from frustrated taxpayers unable to meet the Wednesday deadline.
Keystone added, “We are taking all steps necessary to ensure that taxpayers are treated fairly and respectfully as they fulfill their local tax obligation.”
The company apologized for the inconvenience.
“Keystone recognizes that tax season can be stressful and we are sorry that some taxpayers experienced online filing issues. We sincerely apologize to impacted residents for any inconvenience,” the Westmoreland County-based company said.
Previously, Keystone’s website had advised taxpayers experiencing issues to remit their payments by mail to ensure timely filing.
Municipal officials had reported a lack of communication from Keystone regarding the website problems.
