Zanesville Taxpayer Service Center Closing

The State is closing seven regional taxpayer service centers including the one in Zanesville.

The announcement came Thursday that face to face tax service is being cut  on June 30th due to a budget proposal released by Governor John Kasich.

The Y-city service site along with the centers in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Toledo, Youngstown and Dayton will close their doors.

The move will put 12 workers at the Zanesville site out of jobs and 12 auditors will now work from home. Howard Roby said he’ll miss the service being provided.

"I’m sorry to see these people go," said Roby a user of the tax service. "They’re very nice. They’ve answered any questions I had."

The State Tax Commissioner says the cutbacks are a matter of hard times and hard decisions. He also said that 80% of state tax returns are now filed electronically. While workers wouldn’t comment on camera they do say that some residents of Southeastern Ohio need their help because of a lack of computer knowledge or no computer access. Roby agrees that sometimes decisions aren’t thought through.

"I worked for the Federal Government Postal Service for 30 years and I know for a fact they do make snap judgments without thinking ahead of how it will affect other people in the long run."

The closing centers currently administer several tax revenue generating programs such as watercraft exemption certificate and purchase program, sales tax delinquency and the motor vehicle title program. 

The tax service asks that you write or call your Ohio Senator, House Representative or mayor and tell them about the importance of the center in Southeastern Ohio in hopes of keeping their doors open.