For immediate release.
April 12, 2004
Contact: Bryan Warner, N.C. Center for Voter Education, 919-839-1200
Tax Software Error May Hinder N.C. Judicial Reform
RALEIGH - As April 15 looms on the horizon, many taxpayers have abandoned traditional paper forms to file their taxes, in favor of software or web-based tools that make the experience a bit more bearable.
But while other North Carolinians will find a new option on their tax forms- whether they want to support a program intended to promote fair judicial campaigns and create new state voter guides- taxpayers on-line may find themselves without that choice.
The wide variety of tax preparation software that allows electronic filing has led to some confusion over this new option.
The North Carolina Public Campaign Financing Fund uses state dollars to provide an informative voter guide featuring judicial candidates for appellate-level races (Court of Appeals and NC Supreme Court.) It also allows for funds to help finance the campaigns of candidates who agree to strict fundraising and spending limits.
Supporters see this as a way to help voters learn more about judicial candidates, while also reforming how judges raise money for their campaigns.
The amount used for the program is, in part, determined by the number of taxpayers who check “yes” in the box designated for the Public Campaign Financing Fund on their state income tax forms.
For each taxpayer who checks “yes,” three of the state’s dollars will be directed to the fund. The designation of $3will not reduce a taxpayer’s refund or increase the amount of taxes owed.
Though it is a simple plan, taxpayers who e-file or rely on certain software programs may face misunderstandings regarding the fund. The confusion is due to several of the programs that do not use “official” phrasing in presenting the $3 check-off option.
Some use the word “contribute” when referring to the fund, conjuring the idea of giving a handout back to the very government collecting taxes. One common error, as demonstrated by the on-line filer “Complete Tax,” offers: “Do you wish to contribute to the NC Public Campaign Fund?”
Others are vague as to the purpose of the fund, and do not include its aim to produce voter guides and limit large private donations to judicial candidates. The very popular product “TurboTax” asks: “Do you wish to designate $3.00 of your taxes this year to support a nonpartisan court system?” This wording is more accurate, but still does not match what is on the official state income tax form.
Many of the software programs with murky wording regarding the check-off have a help menu to clarify the purpose of the fund- if users look for it. The help menu for H&R Block’s “Tax Cut” supplies an excellent explanation of the option.
The North Carolina Center for Voter Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to improve our election system through public education and research. The Center has been working with other voting advocacy groups, such as Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and Democracy North Carolina, to make sure taxpayers have all the facts before filing their taxes.
The Center’s executive director, Chris Heagarty, says, “Some taxpayers may support what the fund is trying to accomplish, others might not, but it is important for everyone to see the question correctly and get all the facts before they make a choice. Without enough public support, the state won’t be able to afford these important voter guides.”
For an accurate and clear explanation of the NC Public Campaign Financing Fund, taxpayers can point their browser to www.ncjudges.org, or call the North Carolina Center for Voter Education at 919-839-1200.
###
743 W. Johnson St.
Suite E
Raleigh, NC 27603
919.839.1200