All taxpayers have to do is answer 11 simple questions before calling a toll-free number. They enter the answers to those questions using their telephone key pad, and their tax or refund is figured right there on the phone. They don't have to mail the worksheet, and if they're expecting a refund, it'll come even faster. During last year's pilot, more than 12,000 Kansans used Telefile. Over 98 percent of participants surveyed said they were very satisfied with the service, and 99 percent said they would use it again.
Taxpayers can also update their address during the call.
The eligibility requirements for Telefile are listed in the 1996 income tax booklet. Some taxpayers will not be able to use Telefile because they itemize, or they were not a Kansas resident for all of 1996, or they changed their filing status. The department has also installed two taxpayer hot lines. One is a refund status line. A complete menu of Tel-Assist topics is listed on the inside, back cover of the 1996 Kansas individual income tax booklet.