Currently, the Department of Revenue files tax liens for unpaid taxes manually by printing and mailing lien forms and satisfaction documents to county courthouses across the state. This method burdens tax collectors and taxpayers by generating a variety of administrative fees across 67 counties and can prevent timely receipt of satisfaction documents. Pennsylvanians who are already struggling to pay their taxes and facing liens are also charged additional fees for the Department of Revenue to process the liens and mail the satisfaction forms across 67 different jurisdictions.
 
We need to do more to ensure that taxpayers do not need to face additional financial burdens and give the department more efficient tools to streamline the satisfaction process. To solve these issues, our legislation would create an electronic lien filing system and centralized repository on the Department of Revenue website where taxpayers can immediately view and print their satisfaction documents. This would save significant time and eliminate administrative fees. This system has been successful in Illinois, Mississippi, and South Carolina, and it is now time for Pennsylvania to join them and innovate this commonsense solution.
 
Please join me in modernizing our outdated tax lien filing system and reducing further costs for struggling taxpayers.