Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: I called the state tax office and wondered if they would take a credit card to pay our taxes. But I was told the only card they will take is Discover. Why don't they take Master Card or Visa, which are more popular? Tax office accepts
only one credit cardAnswer: Because Discover Card is the only company that allows the processing fee to be passed on to card holders as a convenience fee, said Marie Okamura, deputy director of the state Department of Taxation.
"In our case, when you look at the number and dollar amounts we cashier, our paying the service fee would be higher than our processing cost would be," she said. "We can't afford to pay it with the budget we have."
The Internal Revenue Service and some other states accept various credit card payments, but they do so through a third-party vendor, charging a convenience fee, Okamura said.
But Visa's bylaws do not allow any kind of pass-on fee, she said, so that company does not participate in the IRS program either.
Okamura said the state would like to use a third-party vendor, but is looking carefully first at what the potential cost to taxpayers would be.
The state Tax Department began accepting payment by Discover Card in March 1998. Volume has been low, but that's probably because it can be used only by people going in person to the Oahu tax office and because it was set up as a pilot project to assess interest and volume, Okamura said.
Also, she said the department is not yet geared technologically to handle a lot of credit card payments. For example, it may receive payments electronically, but has "to create paper in order to get it posted," she said. She hopes credit card payment options can be expanded by next year, "but we're not planning anything for the upcoming tax season."
A gift of Christmas
Cindy Delgado says to keep those old Christmas cards coming.When "Christmas Card Lady" Helen Daniels of Kailua gave up her voluntary project of collecting Christmas cards to make into picture books for hospitalized children in 1997 (because of illness), Delgado eagerly stepped in to continue the tradition.
The young Kaneohe wife and mother, with the help of family, delivered 36 books to Shriners Hospital for Children and the Ronald McDonald House on Christmas Eve.
"It was very heartwarming to see the kids' eyes light up," she said. "I want to say thank you to the people out in the community who have sent me their cards."
She gave special thanks to "the ladies from Pohai Nani (Good Samaritan Retirement Community) and from East Oahu Realty in Hawaii Kai," who helped cut and sort the cards, as well as to Ellen Morishita, an individual "who has really been faithful over the last three years."
She also sent a big "thank you to Helen Daniels, who started the whole thing."
Send cards to Delgado at 47-158 Lile Place, Kaneohe 96744.
Call 239-1163 for information.
Auwe
To whoever stole my black Geo Tracker with white soft-top from Kolokolo Street in Hawaii Kai. I thought the city had towed it because you put chalk marks on the asphalt. The car was to be my Christmas present. It wasn't in perfect running order but would have been ready to drive by Christmas. You probably stripped it and sold everything, benefiting from my loss. You have hurt me and my gift-giver in many ways. -- Yvette
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