Alaska Municipal League Launches Sales Tax Program for Local Governments in Alaska

The new program, powered by the GovOS Tax Filing solution, provides Alaskan communities with access to more resources and leverage when collecting taxes and contacting local residents

AUSTIN, Texas, May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alaska Municipal League (AML), a nonprofit and nonpartisan statewide organization that supports local governments in Alaska, has successfully launched its sales tax collection program for Alaska communities. Powered by GovOS, the sales tax collection program is part of the AML's ongoing efforts to support local governments by providing access to services designed to help them save time and resources.

"Many communities struggle with their sales tax program due to time and budget constraints," explained Clinton Singletary, AML Sales Tax Program Director. "The AML saw a need for these services and wanted to find a way to leverage the expertise of professional sales tax staff to help streamline the process. With the online portal, local governments can transition away from having to process paper returns and checks submitted by mail, while increasing local sales tax revenue through increased compliance by local sellers."

The AML currently has 165 members, including cities, boroughs, and unified municipalities. The sales tax collection program is the latest addition to the shared service offerings for AML members. As soon as a community elects to use the service and completes the setup process, local businesses can access an online portal for filing and paying their local sales taxes. There is also an option for communities to allow businesses to apply for licenses and sales tax registrations, which can be issued and renewed online via the portal.

The City of Thorne Bay was the first to sign up for the AML's business licensing and tax services followed by Selawik, which has been utilizing the registration and tax services since February. The program is of particular value to smaller communities as they often operate with fewer resources at their disposal and sales tax collection can burden an already overtaxed staff.

"A key component of the AML's mission is to provide services that strengthen local governments in Alaska," said Nils Andreassen, AML Executive Director. "By offering services like these to communities that may not otherwise have access to or capacity for these services independently, the AML can help alleviate some of the strain, particularly on smaller communities."

Alaska municipalities that implement the program can further benefit by streamlining the pursuit of non-filers with the system's regular delinquency notices. While municipalities report that the majority of businesses file taxes on schedule, most have a handful of non-filers that require regular outreach and follow-up by staff. Because the program triggers regular delinquency notices, the system can remind businesses on behalf of the jurisdiction, and if a business remains unresponsive, the community can work with the AML on next steps to determine whether legal action is necessary.

To learn more about this and other shared services available to AML members, visit: akml.org/shared-services/

To learn more about GovOS Business Licensing and Taxing Filing services, visit: govos.com/business-licensing-and-tax/ 

About the AML
The Alaska Municipal League (AML) is a voluntary, nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide organization of 165 cities, boroughs, and unified municipalities. The AML's mission is to represent the unified voice of Alaska's local governments to successfully influence state and federal decision-making, build consensus and partnerships to address Alaska's challenges and provide training and joint services to strengthen Alaska's local governments.

For more information, visit akml.org

About GovOS
GovOS is the leading digital transformation platform for local governments. Headquartered in Austin, TX, GovOS serves government agencies of all sizes across the United States. Through its secure and integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, governments can automate and streamline operations, provide seamless access to resources and information, and deliver cutting-edge digital services to businesses, residents, and agencies.

For more information, visit GovOS.com

Media Contact: Karl Pawlewicz, [email protected]

SOURCE GovOS