FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2007

FREE ONLINE TAX RETURN PREPARATION AND E-FILING AVAILABLE TO ELIGIBLE MISSISSIPPI TAXPAYERS

As April 17th Tax Filing Deadline Approaches, Governor Barbour, CCIA Remind State Taxpayers That EITC Recipients, Active Military Members & Others Are Eligible To File For Free

(Jackson) – With the April 17th tax filing deadline rapidly approaching, Governor Haley Barbour today joined the Computer & Communications Industry Association at a press conference urging Mississippi taxpayers to take advantage of the Free File Alliance, a program that provides state taxpayers with free access to the best-known and most trusted tax preparation software products for their personal use. Mississippians who qualify for the program can prepare their state and federal returns and electronically file their taxes online free of charge with the program.

“This free service allows most taxpayers to file their tax returns quickly and accurately, and often helps consumers find hidden deductions or credits and receive a faster, sometimes larger refund,” Governor Barbour said at a press conference today in the Woolfolk Building. “Since its creation five years ago, the Free File Alliance has proven to be a valuable program for Mississippi taxpayers,” said Governor Barbour. “We want to get the word out and get taxpayers to visit www.mstc.state.ms.us to take advantage of the program.”

Today’s press conference was hosted by the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) whose representative, David Macklin, explained that the Mississippi Free File Alliance is an innovative public-private partnership between the Mississippi State Tax Commission and the nation’s private tax software companies. The program is modeled after the federal Free File Alliance, in which the Internal Revenue Service partners with the private tax software industry to provide this valuable service to about 70% of U.S. taxpayers at no cost to either the public treasury or to the users of the service.

Mississippi was one of the first states to adopt a similar public service program at the state level and is today one of 21 states with a Free File Alliance. Taxpayers who take advantage of the program not only get free services, but by filing online they can receive their refunds in as little as 10 days. States like Mississippi which participate in the Free File Alliance – where tax returns are filed electronically – help reduce the state tax agency’s need to process costly paper returns, while still delivering valuable citizen-centric e-services.

Participating software companies use their own criteria to determine which taxpayers are eligible for the free services; however, most often eligibility is based on income, qualification for the Earned Income Tax Credit, age or military service. One such provider is Intuit, Inc., which donates its popular TurboTax® Online product (www.taxfreedom.com). Jim Ruda, Senior Policy Advisor to the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation, also participated in today’s press conference.

“Intuit is proud to donate TurboTax Online services to working families who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, lower-income filers and the many active duty military personnel who are so ably serving our country,” said Mr. Ruda. “It is our largest philanthropic initiative and we are delighted to once again help spread the word with Governor Barbour and bring this service to the people of Mississippi.”

Taxpayers can visit www.mstc.state.ms.us, click on the “PC Online Filing” link, and then click on the “Approved On-Line Service Providers” link to find out more about the various tax software offerings and to determine their eligibility for the free services.

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