A tax collector from the state of Florida has come to an agreement with BitPay, bitcoin payment service provider, and will now use cryptocurrencies for various services.
Joel Greenberg, tax collector for the Seminole area in Florida, announced that the tax office of the region will accept driver’s license and identity cards, plate and estate tax related payments with bitcoin and bitcoin cash.
The bureau explained that they agreed to accept cryptocurrency to speed up the flow of fees and taxes, reduce the likelihood of potential fraud and identity theft, and increase transparency and certainty about payments.
Greenberg’s bureau also said crypto money acceptance did not create any “price volatility or risk” for the county. Greenberg pointed out in his statement that:
“The aim of my tenure in office is to make our customer experience faster, smarter and more efficient, and to bring government services from the 18th century into the 21st century and one way is the addition of cryptocurrency to our payment options.”
This partnership with the county is the first partnership of BitPay with the government. Jeremie Beaudyr, chairman of the compliance unit, explains the reason for the company’s move to the market as “[the company] recognized the potential for blockchain to revolutionize the financial industry, making payments faster, more secure and less expensive on a global scale.”
This partnership with BitPay is a first, but other local government departments are also familiar with the idea of accepting cryptocurrency for taxes. Both Arizona and Georgia state council members had made suggestions that citizens this year could fulfill their state tax obligations with bitcoin and other cryptographic currencies. Unfortunately, neither of the laws went to the respective legislatures.
