“The new law helps clarify the agency’s function. For years there has been confusion about the role of this office. When you are called a board, many assume you are a regulatory or investigative agency,” said Trevor Wohlford, the court’s Executive Director and Chief Counsel. “The new law makes it clear to the public that we are neither. We are an independent and impartial decision-making body.”

The court’s job is to hear and decide disputed cases. The court weighs the facts of each case individually and makes a determination based only on the evidence and the governing law. All tax court decisions are appealable directly to the Kansas Court of Appeals. Detailed information about the new tax court and how it can serve the citizens of Kansas can be found at the new Web site, http://www.kansas.gov/cota/.

“When a citizen transacts business with any government office – including a court – they should know exactly what that office can and cannot do for them,” Wohlford said. “But just as important, the citizen should have ready access to resources that take them directly to an office where they can be helped. This is the kind of integrated service our new Web site provides by delivering citizens better context of how the tax court fits within the overall system of state and local taxation in Kansas.”

The court processes approximately eleven thousand cases each year involving all types of state and local tax appeals and applications. The former members of the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, now called tax court judges, will continue their service throughout the remainder of their terms, including chief judge Rebecca Crotty, and judges J. Fred Kubik and Bruce Larkin.

INFORMATION NETWORK OF KANSAS

The Kansas Business Center is the official state resource for information, regulatory filings, and personal assistance needed to start or maintain a Kansas-based business. The state of Kansas launched a redesign of the Web site in January of this year. The site welcomes approximately 35,000 page views per month.

“Our coordinators do an exceptional job of referring entrepreneurs to resource partners in our network,” said Erik Pedersen, NetWork Kansas Associate Director. “The opportunity to work more closely with the Kansas Business Center allows us to expand our capability and deliver an even higher level of service to our clients.”

Since the launch of the new Web site, the number of inquiries to referral coordinators has increased significantly; inquiries received in April and May of 2009 grew 129%, compared to the same period last year.

NetWork Kansas referral coordinators provide personal assistance to visitors of the Kansas Business Center via online chat or by phone. Coordinators are available to provide personal assistance to entrepreneurs throughout the startup, growth and maintenance stages of any Kansas business.

“Referral coordinators are like a human extension of the Kansas Business Center,” said Lisa Counts, Kansas.gov General Manager. “They can help guide business owners to find information on the Web site as well as assist with the required state filings and registration tools featured on the portal.”

The Kansas Business Center is a statewide initiative involving 11 state agencies and associations, including the Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) and the Kansas Center for Entrepreneurship (dba NetWork Kansas).

INFORMATION NETWORK OF KANSAS

Kansas WebFile offers the following services:

24/7 Access
File an amendment to your individual 2009 tax return
Online payment for taxes due
All Kansas residents and non-residents who filed a Kansas income tax return last year can use WebFile, even if the return is itemized.

INFORMATION NETWORK OF KANSAS

KSBHA online renewals provide the following benefits:

Enables you to easily renew your professional healthcare license online
Secure credit card or electronic check payments
24-hour access for your convenience
Ability to print your confirmation while waiting to receive your permanent card in the mail.

INFORMATION NETWORK OF KANSAS

KSBP online renewals provide the following benefits:

1. Enables you to easily renew your pharmacy license online
2. Secure credit card or electronic check payments
3. 24-hour access for your convenience
4. Ability to print your confirmation while waiting to receive your permanent card in the mail.

INFORMATION NETWORK OF KANSAS

KREAB online renewals provide the following benefits:

Enables you to easily renew your real estate appraiser license online
Secure credit card or electronic check payments
24-hour access for your convenience

INFORMATION NETWORK OF KANSAS