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South Carolina Department of Revenue Talks Improvements To Security

Department of Revenue stresses technology, security, and collection improvements in front of oversight subcommittee

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - To keep an eye on South Carolina government departments and agencies, lawmakers heard from Department of Revenue (DOR) about what they've done to improve relations with taxpayers and what help the Department needs going forward.

Director Hartley Powell told the legislative oversight subcommittee about a new technology-based tax system, efforts to improve physical and cyber security across the department, and collection efforts of the state's more than $12 billion in tax revenue.

After the meeting, Powell declined to give specifics on cyber security improvements citing the importance of keeping hackers in the dark. However, he said the Department was making efforts to improve security on several fronts.

Powell also said his department will need help from lawmakers in the future.

“In order to keep up with the latest out there, we need to tweak our laws a little bit. So we asked for some help with what we call marketplace legislation. The marketplace on the internet, you go to one source to buy lots of different types of goods, that's the marketplace approach, we want to make sure that we are collecting the tax,” Powell said after his team finished their presentation.

Powell continued that the DOR wants to make sure retailers online are charging and collecting the same sales taxes that brick and mortar locations in the state collect, to make sure it remains a level playing field for South Carolina businesses.

He also said the Department wanted legislative approval on levying tax liens online or in a central database so they can avoid cumbersome and costly county-by-county lien notification and collection.

Lawmakers asked Powell about his department and its operations with the public and with its own employees, including promotion, hiring, and HR policies.

This is DOR’s first time appearing for review since the committee's creation in 2014. The Legislative Oversight committee was created when South Carolina realigned government. They examine select agencies and departments each year.

Subcommittee Chair Bruce Bannister, a Republican representative from Greenville County, said this is a way to proactively keep state agencies accountable.

“We found as we started to try to reorganize the way government works that a lot of our agencies really never had any review by the general assembly. They told us what they were supposed to be doing and we accepted that at face value, and never looked into their operations,” Bannister said.

The Chairman of the Economic Development, Transportation, and Natural Resources subcommittee said the legislature realized the need for closer oversight after the DOR hacking and other such incidents involving other departments.

Banister explained their goal is to check on each department, seek public comment, including from employees, ask questions and troubleshoot problems as they develop.

Monday was the Department of Revenue’s last scheduled meeting before the subcommittee. Next, the subcommittee will invite them back to give their own recommendations for discussion. After those are discussed, Representative Banister will present their findings to the full Legislative Oversight committee.

The Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation started its review process before the committee on Monday afternoon.

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