by: Brian Day
Last year, U.S. government agencies collected more than $3 trillion in revenue. This equates to some $90 billion a day the public pays into government treasuries. The Treasury recently announced Americans can now settle up with the government through payment platforms PayPal andDwolla.
This initiative shows a willingness on Uncle Sam’s part to experiment with new technologies, which could ultimately save taxpayers money. The Treasury is starting small, with a pilot program on the secure web portalPay.gov. The website processes some $110 billion in collections ranging from loans and fines to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and National Parks filming permits.
“Digital wallets provide convenience, simplicity and a trusted customer experience, while achieving cost effectiveness for the federal government,” Corvelli McDaniel of the Fiscal Service saidin a statement.