State Computer system ahead of schedule in Montana

Installation of Montana’s new tax accounting computer system is ahead of schedule, officials with the Idaho software maker told Gov. Judy Martz on Friday.

Fast Enterprises http://www.fastenterprises.com of Boise has already put Montana’s rental vehicle, accommodations, and cigarette taxes into the new GenTax system. The cigarette tax was finished at the end of March, one month earlier than originally scheduled.

Associated Press

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/05/29/build/state/55-computer.inc

Martz said she was pleased with the progress.

"You’ve delivered what you said you would and that’s what we like," Martz said.

The company plans to have withholding taxes converted by July 1 and combined oil and gas system taxes by Aug. 30.

The company won an $8 million contract last year to replace Montana’s crippled tax accounting computer system, known as POINTS, that has given state officials headaches for years.

POINTS, or Process Oriented Integrated Tax System, was intended to provide one cohesive system for tax computing and tracking in Montana. But the system had problems from the start in May 1998.

Fast Enterprises officials urged Martz to start making plans to switch additional taxes, like corporate income taxes, to the GenTax system in order to eventually eliminate POINTS from all tax computation.

Converting completely to GenTax will require new contracts for different taxes. The current contract covers five taxes and a warranty that will last about a year and two months.

Fast Enterprises transferred several employees to Montana under the current contract. Company representative James Harrison said Montana could save money by extending its contract while employees are still in the state.

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