That’s the description I get from an accountant on the secretary of state’s newish on-line sytstem for filing corporate franchise taxes. He reports difficulty in getting reports accepted. And without a return receipt that comes with numbers provided by the state, clients can’t pay the taxes due. They are due by May 1.

Does the secretary of state have legal power to waive proscribed penalties for late payment if the late payment is the product of a system problem?

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A spokesman for the secretary of state said this was the first she’d heard of the problem. She’s checking. Meanwhile, any other franchise tax filers who’ve tried the new digital system? UPDATE: I’ve heard from another who’s had a problem with a single filing, but. Claude reports below that it worked fine for him. Batch filing might be the issue.

UPDATE II: Natasha Naragon of the secretary of state’s office says:

This is only the second year we’ve offered online batch filing—online filing for single filers has been availablesince 2003.  Since it is a fairly new procedure, many filers are calling our Business and Commercial Services offices for troubleshooting assistance; but, we do not have any indication of a problem with the system itself. 
 
The office is working diligently to assist any last-minute filers and will not penalize any business who makes an effort to file by midnight on May 1. 
 
Businesses needing assistance in filing franchise taxes are urged to call our BCS office at (800) 233-0325.

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