About 10 percent of the suburban county's taxpayers used credit cards in 1997, the plan's first full operational year. For tax collectors, less paper is cheaper. Credit card transfers occur much more quickly and reduce the need for extended business hours or extra personnel to process thousands of last-minute returns. Also, it won't matter if a tax deadline falls on a weekend. Some experts worry that taxpayers who already have steep credit-card debt might neglect to save for their tax bills and simply use the credit method, digging their financial hole deeper.
Money management is a big issue.