Business Profile
Collections Agencies
Keystone Collections GroupHeadquarters
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Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Keystone Collections Group's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 223 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 65 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:09/16/2022
Type:Customer Service IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Swatara Township put a levy on past due taxes that we owed. In March of 2019 we moved from Texas to Pennsylvania. We did not live in the state for the entire year. I did receive the notice from Keystone Collections about owing past due taxes but I thought it was just a scam and ignored the request. It was eventually moved to collections and my paycheck was garnished.
The garnishment is not the problem here. I owed around $850.00 and in three pay cycles, from 3/31/22 thru 4/29/22, it was paid in full. Keystone turns around and starts taking garnishments out of my wife's paycheck, starting on 5/13/22. The account number Keystone assigned to my levy and my wife's levy were identical, meaning it was the same account. I called Keystone and asked for an explanation and none was given.
From 5/13/22 thru 9/16/22, Keystone have been garnishing money from my wife's pay check.
From 5/25/22 thru 9/6/22, Keystone has been sending us refund checks. My question is why is Keystone refunding money garnished from my wife’s check and then turning around and garnishing money back from my Wife’s check again. This has been going on for the past 6 months. It make no sense.
I have called 4 times to try to get them to stop the garnishment, they wanted a phone number for my wife's employer so they could send a stop garnishment letter to the employer. We did provide them with this number. The garnishments have continued.
I call on 9/15/22 to ask why are we going through this 6 month ordeal when the garnishment was paid in full back on 3/29/22? The customer rep for Keystone could not answer that questions. She said she could not do anything else. I asked if there was a supervisor I could talk to and she told me, "no there is nobody you can talk to".
How does Keystone have the power to take money from consumers and the consumer does not have any recourse for an explanation from Keystone on how and why they are doing what they are doing?Business Response
Date: 09/27/2022
Thank
you for contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this
complaint ID number. In his complaint, the complainant advised Keystone
garnished he and his wife’s wages to collect delinquent earned income tax.
Further, his wife’s employer continues to garnish her wages and Keystone issues
refunds. Seeking an explanation, the complainant filed this complaint.
As
a preliminary matter, the Local Tax Enabling Act (“LTEA”) requires all
taxpayers making earned income and/or net profits to file a local earned income
tax return with their resident tax officer. 53 P.S. § 6924.502 (c). Per my
review, the complainant and his wife did not file a local earned income tax
return with Keystone. Using limited earnings information supplied by the
Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (“DOR”), this delinquency was identified. See 53
P.S. § 6924.509(g). As such, the complainant was issued an initial delinquent
notice on October 13, 2021.
The
LTEA permits the collection of delinquent local earned income taxes by wage
garnishment. 53 P.S. §§ 6924.702-703. Further, a taxpayer’s spouse may be
garnished for the taxpayer’s delinquency. Id. Both the complainant and his wife were issued Notice of Intent to Garnish Wages via Certified Mail on January 15,
2022. This Notice afforded the taxpayers with time to satisfy their account
before their employers were directed to garnish their wages. As neither the
complainant nor his spouse responded, a Notice
of Wage Garnishment was sent to each of their employers on February 25,
2022.
The
complainant’s account was satisfied thereafter. Accordingly, Notices of Release
were sent to each employer on May 31, 2022. However, the complainant’s spouse’s
employer continues to garnish her pay in error. When Keystone receives the
money, it is promptly refunded to the complainant’s spouse.
Per
my review of the communication history between Keystone and the complainant,
the complainant spoke with a Keystone representative on September 15, 2022. At
that time, the Keystone representative offered to securely fax a copy of the
Release Notice to the complainant’s spouse’s employer. However, the complainant
did not have the fax number available and requested the Keystone representative
hold on the line while he called the employer. The Keystone representative
declined to hold on the line while the complainant made another call. To
accommodate the complainant, the representative suggested that the complainant
could email the fax information to Keystone. In response, the complainant asked
for a supervisor, contended that he was going to “complain” and ended the call.
Should the taxpayer wish to submit this information electronically, he can use
the “Contact Us” feature on Keystone’s website by visiting www.KeystoneCollects.com/contact/.
As
such Keystone has address the complainant’s concerns, but has not been provided
the requested fax information from the complainant. I appreciate the
opportunity provided by the BBB to resolve the concerns of taxpayers and
improve our processes.
Thank
you for your attention to this matter.
Very
truly yours,
KEYSTONE
COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher
E. V******, EsquireInitial Complaint
Date:09/11/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I received a letter stating that I owed $110.00 for Bristol township taxes from 2018 or they will garnish my wages. #1 I did NOT live nor work in Bristol township in 2018. #2 why is this the first letter I'm receiving about since 2018 & you give a 2 week deadline? I submitted my paperwork showing I did not work/live there so if my wages get garnished I have a huge issue with you. Everyone in my area has been sent these same letters & its a similar situation to where they didn't live/work there. Makes no sense! And to think I almost paid it just because I didn't have the time to deal with it. I'm sure people have done that, wonder if their money was ever returned to them?Business Response
Date: 09/14/2022
Thank
you for contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this
complaint ID number. In her complaint, the complainant advised that she was
issued a delinquent local earned income tax (“EIT”) notice seeking taxes for an
area in which he did not reside.
Please
know that I have thoroughly reviewed the complainant’s account. Pursuant to the
information exchange mandate of the Local Tax Enabling Act (“LTEA”), Keystone is supplied with limited
earnings information from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (“DOR”) used
to identify unpaid or underpaid accounts. See 53 P.S. § 6924.509(g). There is
unfortunately an unavoidable delay in the provision of this limited earnings
information. Based on a comparison between this information and Keystone’s
records, this discrepancy was identified.
Understanding
that the information supplied by the DOR may be inaccurate, Keystone provides
taxpayers with ample notice prior to the initiation of adverse legal or
collection action. The Notice itself provides taxpayers with common examples of
situations in which the tax may not be due. Through the LTEA, Tax Officers such
as Keystone are vested with the right to request documentation to verify the
accuracy of a tax return, or if no tax return was filed, to ascertain the
amount of tax due. See 53 P.S. § 6924.509(f).
Per
my review of the complainant’s account, she was issued an initial delinquent
notice on May 20, 2022 and a follow-up delinquent notice on August 2, 2022. In
response to her receipt of the follow-up notice, the complainant submitted
documentation evidencing her residency outside of the taxing jurisdiction.
Accordingly, the complainant’s account has been closed and this matter
resolved.
Finally,
the complainant contended that many taxpayers in her area have experienced
similar issues. Please know that Keystone is not aware of any taxpayer issues
specific to Bristol Township. However, as with all areas for which Keystone
collects, taxpayers who dispute delinquent notices may supply Keystone with
documentation in support of their dispute. Keystone does not wish to collect
tax for which its clients are not owed.
I appreciate the opportunity provided by the BBB to
resolve the concerns of taxpayers and improve our processes.
Thank you
for your attention to this matter.
Very
truly yours,
KEYSTONE
COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher
E. V******
Associate
General CounselInitial Complaint
Date:09/09/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I received a Delinquent Earned Income Tax for 2020 stating that I owed over 1,000 dollars in taxes from that year. I filed my taxes that year and didn't have any money owed back. I got less than 300 dollars back in the tax return that year. They said I made over 52,000 dollars and I know I didn't even make half of that. I checked my TurboTax and it said my Adjusted Income was the over 52,000 number. I only worked at Giant Food Stores that year making around 11.50 an hour and I missed a lot of time that year due to back problems. I don't know how to prove I never made that amount when TurboTax says my adjusted income for that year says over 52,000. What should I do?Business Response
Date: 09/14/2022
Thank
you for contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this
complaint ID number. In his complaint, the complainant advised that he received
a delinquent local earned income tax notice from Keystone. The complainant
advised that he did not earn the amount of money upon which tax was assessed
and outlined issues with TurboTax. Please know that I have thoroughly reviewed
the complainant’s account.
As
a preliminary matter, Keystone serves as the duly appointed Tax Officer for 19 tax
collection districts across the Commonwealth, including the Dauphin County Tax
Collection District. In this capacity, Keystone is responsible for the administration
and collection of local earned income taxes from all communities within the Tax
Collection District that levy the tax.
The Local Tax Enabling Act (“LTEA”)
requires all taxpayers making earned income and/or net profits to file a local
earned income tax return with their resident tax officer. 53 P.S. § 6924.502 (c).
It is the duty of the tax officer “[t]o collect, reconcile, administer and
enforce income taxes imposed on residents and nonresidents of each political
subdivision included in the tax collection district.” 53 P.S. §6924.509(a)(1). The
local earned income tax return is a separate tax return filed directly with the
Tax Officer, and is not covered by third party tax preparation programs such as
TurboTax.
Per
my review, the complainant did not file a local earned income tax return with
Keystone. Using limited earnings information supplied by the Pennsylvania
Department of Revenue (“DOR”), this delinquency was identified. See 53
P.S. § 6924.509(g). As such, the complainant was issued an initial delinquent
notice.
The initial delinquent notice outlines
situations in which taxpayers may not owe the tax and instructs taxpayers to
supply documentation to Keystone depending on the nature of their dispute. As
such, if the complainant disputes the delinquent balance listed on his account,
he is welcome to supply my office with documentation, such as Form(s) W-2
and/or a copy of his PA 40 Personal Income Tax Return in support. Upon receipt
of the same, my office will review and adjust his account accordingly.
I
appreciate the opportunity provided by the BBB to resolve the concerns of
taxpayers and improve our processes.
Thank
you for your attention to this matter.
Very
truly yours,
KEYSTONE
COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher
E. V******
Associate
General CounselInitial Complaint
Date:09/05/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Keystone Collections group have mailed me on several occasions stating that I owe local taxes for ******* County and ask for supporting tax documentation. If I dont do so, they will put a lean on my paycheck. I have contacted them several times and supplied the documentation, but I continue to get the letters in the mail. My accountant has also provided proof I don't owe any local taxes. Keystone are impossible to get a status from, but the threat of taking money from my paycheck has worn thin.
They dont seem to understand the reciprocal principle between PA and DE on DE state taxes paid and local tax credits. This has happened for every year since I've moved to this area. I would like them to confirm they fixed whatever algorithm they use to identify me as "delinquent" and resolve it moving forward.Business Response
Date: 09/14/2022
Thank you for
contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this complaint ID
number. In his complaint, the complainant disputed delinquent local earned
income tax balances for the 2019 and 2020 tax years. The complainant further
contended that Keystone “does not understand the reciprocal principle between
PA and DE on state taxes paid and local tax credits.” Please know that Keystone
has thoroughly reviewed the complainant’s account.
As a preliminary
matter, please know that Delaware and Pennsylvania are not reciprocal states
for income tax purposes. As nonreciprocal states, taxpayers may claim credits
for income taxed by the other state. 53 P.S. § 6924.317. Per Keystone’s review
of the complainant’s tax returns, the complainant did not calculate
out-of-state credits based upon state law. Rather, the complainant incorrectly claimed
credits to completely negate his local earned income tax liability.
More
specifically, credit was not available on the portion of the complainant’s
Pennsylvania compensation not taxed by the State of Delaware. By negating his
liability, the complainant erroneously claimed credit upon income not taxed by
another state.
An attorney from
my office has sent the complainant separate correspondence outlining these
restrictions more specifically. However, the balance listed on the
complainant’s account stands and Keystone’s actions have at all times been
correct and proper.
I appreciate the
opportunity provided by the BBB to resolve the concerns of taxpayers and
improve our processes.
Thank you for
your attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
KEYSTONE
COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher *. V******
Associate
General CounselCustomer Answer
Date: 09/15/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
This simply isnt a true statement. Keystone has sent me these notices in the past and upon sending the local income tax return and reviewing it with my accountant, it was deemed that I did not owe any taxes. I would recommend that Keystone better review their processes and reach out to me directly as I still have no response from Keystone on my last submission.Keystone's inability to be accessible to solving issues real-time is a challenge and burden for individuals who have simply done nothing wrong in their tax calculations. If I receive further calls for action from Keystone, I expect compensation for my time and effort to resolve their short comings.
Regards,
***** ******Initial Complaint
Date:08/29/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have been contacted multiple times by the borough of pheonixville in Pennsylvania. They have attempted to collect taxes from me for times that I didn't even live there. I lived there for two years and a few months. I moved to another borough 5/15/2022. Now I get a certified letter from keystone collections group stating my wages are going to be garnished for unpaid taxed related to the claims by pheonixville. I spoke to keystone and received evasive answers with differing amounts of tax I owe. I googled them and saw there are already complaints against them for they're collection practices. I do not believe I owe them this money. I'm already under a financial burden and this is troubling in the extreme. Can you help me? Thank you in advance. ***** ******. j********@*****.com. ###-###-####. Account number with keystone: ******** and *********. My fiancee also received notices of demands for money with no notice and stating they will garnish our wages.Business Response
Date: 08/30/2022
Thank
you for contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this
complaint ID number. In his complaint, the
complainant states that Keystone has attempted to collect tax from him and that
he has received a certified letter stating that his wages are going to be
garnished. Please know that I have
reviewed the complainant’s accounts thoroughly.
As a
preliminary matter, Keystone serves as the current and delinquent collector of per
capita and occupation taxes for the Phoenixville Area School District as well as
the collector of local earned income tax for the District and the Borough of
Phoenixville.
Previously, Keystone sent a notice
to the complainant regarding local earned income taxes. Pursuant
to the information exchange mandate of the Local Tax Enabling Act (“LTEA”), Keystone is supplied with limited
earnings information from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (“DOR”) used
to identify unpaid or underpaid accounts. See 53 P.S. § 6924.509(g). Based on a
comparison between this information and Keystone’s records, this discrepancy
was identified for the 2018 and 2019 tax years.
Understanding
that the information supplied by the DOR may be inaccurate, Keystone provides
taxpayers with ample notice prior to the initiation of adverse legal or
collection action. The Notice itself provides taxpayers with common examples of
situations in which the tax may not be due. Through the LTEA, Tax Officers such as
Keystone are vested with the right to request documentation to verify the
accuracy of a tax return, or if no tax return was filed, to ascertain the
amount of tax due. See 53 P.S. § 6924.509(f). The complainant provided documentation regarding his residency and the discrepancy
for the 2018 and 2019 tax years was resolved.
Recently,
Keystone received earnings information from the DOR for the 2020 tax year, again
showing a discrepancy. If the
complainant believes that the tax is not owed, or that he resided somewhere
else for this tax year he can provide proof to resolve the matter.
Additionally,
Keystone issue the complainant notices regarding delinquent per capita tax and
occupation tax for the 2021 and 2022 tax years. In review of the complainant’s account I see that he contacted my office
on August 29, 2022 regarding this tax. It was explained to the complainant that if he did not reside within the
District for the tax years in question he would need to submit a completed exemption
form for both the 2021 and 2022 tax years. This form can be found on Keystone’s website by visiting www.KeystoneCollects.com.
I appreciate the opportunity provided by the BBB to
resolve the concerns of taxpayers and improve our processes.
Thank you
for your attention to this matter.
Very
truly yours,
KEYSTONE
COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher
*. V******Initial Complaint
Date:08/29/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 01/26/22 I received a letter from a keystone which was mailed to address **** ********* ****** ** *** ** which I had not lived for five years. They were previously sending them to my current *** * *** ****** ********* ** address. The person who lives at that address contacted me to retrieve the letter. The debt was supposed to be paid by December 2021 due to not receiving letter to correct address I known nothing of it. Plus I lived in ****************** county they had ******* county on letter. I called them to report and confirm letter 2021 exception form was sent in 01/27/22
$295.50. I was told after sending that I would have to do nothing else and payment would be exempted I faxed it off. Was told by supervisor on 6/15/22 after multiple calls to them about the first and only delinquent letter sent to my current address that two letters were sent in May, only one came back to them but I received neither letter. I filed a dispute for the delinquent tax for them to take action on letter, look into it and not retrieve debt due to incorrect information on their behalf. It took them almost two weeks to get back to me and they still demanded me to pay debt. Also was told 3/17/22 a invoice letter for payment was sent *** ** *** ******- I never received it. I moved to current address on 3/11/22 and I had turned in a change of address form to post office a week before and all my mail was held until the change processed and then all my mail came to my current address but none from Keystone Collections Group until May 2022 which was a delinquent letter. On 08/28/32 received a to garnish 10% of my paycheck for $320. They are adding to financial hardship as well as putting a debt on me that I do not owe they made an mistake with sending letter to a 5 year old previous address that was in another county, I called they told me that they had *** ** *** ****** in their system so they didn’t know why it was sent there..please check attachment as I have full description.Customer Answer
Date: 08/29/2022
Hello, I realized I made many errors in my complaint. Here is a detailed and precise letter of complaint
On 01/26/22 I received a letter from a keystone collections group in Pa which was mailed to address **** ********* ****** ** *** ** on 07/01/21 I had not lived at that address in five years. They were previously sending them to my current *** * *** ****** ********* ** address. The person who lives at that address contacted me to retrieve the letter. The payment was 117.60 by 08/31/21. The debt was supposed to be paid by December 2021 but due to not receiving a letter to correct address *** * *** ****** ******** I known nothing of this tax debt. Plus I lived in ****************** county they had ******* county on letter from 07/01/21. I called them to report and confirm letter from 07/01/21 sent to **** ********* ******. I was told by the rep that they supposedly did have my recent addrees and she did not know why it was sent to that address, she then told me to do a 2021 exception form which included me updated my address and that would be all I had to do and I would not have to pay the debit. That was sent in via fax 01/27/22.
I received a Delinquent Tax notice in May 2022 it was dated 05/18/22, I then called Keystone Collections to confirm and report the letter, I was told that my tax payment was delinquent due to it not being paid the amount was now 295.50 due to fees. I explained the previously issue and explained I never received letter before after turning in the exempt form 01/27/22, she multiple letters were sent out after that, I explained I never received them and I'd like to dispute the payment. I was hung up on twice by a rude rep, I called back that day and a rep did say she seen the exemption form and I should not have to pay but she will turn it over to a supervisor to review and resolve it. It took them almost two weeks to get back to me and they still demanded me to pay debt. I got a called from a supervisor Dana and was told that two letters were sent in May, only one came back to them but I received neither letter. Also I was told 3/17/22 a invoice letter for payment was sent *** ** *** ******, I never received it. I moved to current address * *** ****** on 3/11/22 and I had turned in a change of address form to post office a week before and all my mail was held until the change processed, my mail then was forwarded on 03/18/22 to my current address then but none from Keystone Collections Group until May 2022 which was a delinquent letter. Supervisor would not help me resolve the mistake and issue they had made. On 08/28/32 received a to garnishment notice from them saying 10% of my paycheck will be garnished until debt of $320.50 was paid they now added more fees.
Also the first letter sent 07/01/22 to lexington street had an account number of ********* and then letter in 05/22 had a different account number *********.
I feel the relief should be granted due to a unreasonable mistake made my them and them not resolving it properly but escalating it. They have all bad reviews on google and BBB which they are not accredited, they causing fraud by garnishing wages and saying it was from years ago but never sent out notices.They are adding to financial hardship as well as putting a debt on me that I do not owe they made an mistake with sending letter to a 5 year old previous address that was in another county, I called they told me that they had *** ** *** ****** in their system so they didn’t know why it was sent there, told me to fill out an exempt form so debt is disputed and I’d have to do nothing else and pay nothing else, giving me the run around for collecting a debt and now garnishing my wages for a false debt I do not owe. I attempted to pay debt that it would not be garnished from my future paycheck.Customer Answer
Date: 08/30/2022
The money was taken out of my account. This is the receipt, they did send a notice of garnishment of wages so in addition I'd like a refund of payment, cleared debt from them and garnished wages stopped. Thank you for your assistance.Business Response
Date: 09/06/2022
Thank you for
contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this complaint ID
number. In her complaint, the complainant outlined issues with her delinquent
per capita/occupation tax account. Specifically, the complainant advised that
due to her change of residence, she did not receive original bills. When she
did not remit payment, her wages were garnished.
In response to
her complaint, I have thoroughly reviewed the complainant’s account. Per my
review of the complainant’s account, she has changed residences numerous times
throughout the tax year(s) at issue. Moreover, it appears that the complainant
did not update her address with her employer(s) when she moved. As a result,
her employer’s local earned income tax remittance to Keystone has caused
several address updates on her account. It is important that when a taxpayer
moves they complete an updated Certificate of Residency (“COR”) form with their
employer.
Please know that Keystone takes reasonable
precautions to ensure that all tax bills are delivered to taxpayers. Keystone regularly verifies addresses by
searching multiple address databases. Mailings of per capita tax bills are scheduled well in advance of due
dates so that if mail is returned there is ample time to find a new, accurate
taxpayer address. If a bill is returned
as “undeliverable”, a memo is placed in a taxpayer account evidencing the same
and a new address is sought.
The
complainant was originally issued ********** School District Occupation Tax
Notices, as her account indicated she resided within ********** School
District. These bills were returned to my office as undeliverable. However, the
initial delinquent notice was not returned as undeliverable.
Please
know that the collection of delinquent per capita taxes by wage garnishment is
authorized pursuant to the Local Tax Enabling Act. 53 P.S. § 6924.702.
Moreover, Keystone strictly complies with the law’s requirement that notice be
sent to a taxpayer by certified mail prior to the initiation of a wage garnishment. Id. As the complainant did not
respond to the initial bill, the complainant was issued a Notice of Intent
to Garnish Wages via Certified Mail on March 17, 2022 and by First Class
Mail on May 18, 2022. The complainant had several conversations with Keystone
representatives upon receipt of the Notice
of Intent to Garnish Wages.
It
was determined that the complainant did not reside in the ********** School
District for the tax year at issue. As such, the complainant was exonerated
from her ********** Occupation Tax liability. However, as the complainant
resided in the ****************** School District, she was responsible for Per
Capita/Occupation taxes. She remitted payment for these taxes online. However,
the original garnishment for ********** School District had already been sent
to her employers. Release letters were mailed to her respective employers on
August 24, 2022 and August 31, 2022.
Please
know that it is statutorily mandated that penalty be imposed when the tax is
not paid when due. Further, Keystone is authorized to assess the costs of
delinquent collection pursuant to Act 192 of 2004, as ratified by the taxing
authorities. Further costs were added, in full compliance with Act 192, for
Keystone’s wage garnishment efforts.
Nevertheless, all
of Keystone’s actions in the administration of per capita taxes have fully
complied with Pennsylvania law. Please
know that any funds remitted to Keystone from the complainant’s employers will
be refunded directly to the complainant.
I appreciate the
opportunity provided by the BBB to resolve the concerns of taxpayers and
improve our processes.
Thank you for
your attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
KEYSTONE
COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher *. V******, EsquireCustomer Answer
Date: 09/07/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The representative for Keystone Collections Group who is Christopher *. V****** is falsifying information in their countercomplaint. Before my current residency, I had lived at my previous residency for over 5 years in which Keystone Collections Group had sent tax notices to prior years and they were responded to by me with payment online.
Last year a letter was sent 07/01/2021 to any old address that I have not resided in for over five years, in which I did not have multiple address for that year or previously. I update any and all changes within residency and more with my employer(s). That original tax notice was due by August 2021 and latest was December 2021. Keystone had not contacted me by mail or phone to get any response to the tax notice letter. January 2022 the person who resides at the address **** ********* ** **** ** ***** contacted me to retrieve the letter. I then called Keystone to acknowledge and question all false information on tax notice. A Keystone representative confirmed that the letter was in fact sent to the wrong address which she did not have an explanation why due to them having my current address I resided in at the time, I will state again that I resided in Steelton, Pa for over five years.
Keystone Collections Group failed to update their information for my file, to contact me via mail or phone, and Keystone has failed providing correct and truthful information.
Keystone Collections Group is falsifying information, conducting fraud with trying to garnish wages stating they sent numerous of garnish wages notices to me, falsifying the amount owed or that anything is owed, and lastly falsifying complaint stating that they did not make a huge mistake.
Regards,
******* ******Initial Complaint
Date:08/25/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Never received a tax bill from them for my per capita occupation tax, then months later I get a certified letter stating that I owe the tax and that a 75$ penalty has been added.
I never received any of the earlier bills, and by reading many complaints from other individuals they seem to be in the same boat as me. I find it hard to believe that its a mere coincidence that so many people have never received their first bill only to get a second bill at a later date with a penalty addedBusiness Response
Date: 08/26/2022
Thank you for contacting Keystone Collections Group (Keystone) regarding this complaint ID number. In the complaint, the Complainant advised he did not receive an initial bill prior to receiving a delinquent tax notice for Per Capita and Occupation Tax owed to the Phoenixville Area School District. He also disputed the penalties and collection costs on his account. Please know that I have thoroughly reviewed the complainant’s account and appreciate the opportunity to address his concerns.
Please be advised, Keystone serves as the current and delinquent Per Capita and Occupation Tax Collector for Phoenixville Area School District. With limited exemptions, the District levies a Per Capita Tax on all adult residents of the District and an Occupation Tax on any employee in the District based on job title.
When mailing tax bills, Keystone utilizes the United States Postal Service’s Intelligent Mail Barcode (“IMB”) tracking service to track the delivery of mail using a printed barcode at the bottom of each envelope. According to my review of the complainant’s account, his 2021 Per Capita and Occupation Tax bill was delivered on July 6, 2021. A subsequent delinquent notice for the 2021 tax was delivered March 13, 2022. Despite these notices the tax was not paid and accordingly, a Notice of Intent to Garnish Wages was issued on August 8, 2022.
Therefore, as the IMB indicates that the original notice was delivered and as the penalty, interest and costs were assessed as required by the law, I kindly request that the complainant remit any unpaid balance.
I would also point out that a 2022 Per Capita and Occupation Tax notice was mailed to the taxpayer on June 29, 2022 and the IMB record indicates that it was delivered on July 1, 2022. My records indicate that this tax has not been paid yet. The complainant has until August 31, 2022 to pay this tax at the discount amount.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to resolve the concerns of taxpayers.
Very truly yours,
KEYSTONE COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher *. V******
Associate General CounselInitial Complaint
Date:08/24/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I got a delinquent notice for a tax bill from 2017. Never heard of this company. I am a renter in Chester.Business Response
Date: 08/26/2022
Dear Ms. ******:
Thank
you for contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this
complaint ID number. In her complaint, the complainant advised that she
received a delinquent local earned income tax notice for the 2017 tax year. The
complainant advised that she rents her property and has never heard of
Keystone.
As
a preliminary matter, Keystone serves as the duly appointed Tax Officer for 19 tax
collection districts across the Commonwealth, including the Delaware County Tax
Collection District. In this capacity, Keystone is responsible for the
administration and collection of local earned income taxes from all communities
within the Tax Collection District that levy the tax.
The Local Tax Enabling Act (“LTEA”)
requires all taxpayers making earned income and/or net profits to file a local
earned income tax return with their resident tax officer. 53 P.S. § 6924.502 (c).
It is the duty of the tax officer “[t]o collect, reconcile, administer and
enforce income taxes imposed on residents and nonresidents of each political
subdivision included in the tax collection district.” 53 P.S. §6924.509(a)(1). The
local earned income tax return is a separate tax return filed directly with the
Tax Officer, and is not covered by third party tax preparation programs such as
TurboTax or Credit Karma.
Please
know that I have thoroughly reviewed the complainant’s account. Per my review,
the complainant did not file a local earned income tax return with Keystone.
Using limited earnings information supplied by the Pennsylvania Department of
Revenue (“DOR”), this delinquency was identified. The LTEA provides that “the tax officer of
each tax collection district shall ensure that the tax collection district
enters into an agreement with the Department of Revenue for the exchange of
information as necessary for the collection of income taxes.” 53 P.S. §
6924.509(g). Pursuant to this information exchange mandate, Keystone is
supplied with limited earnings information used to identify unpaid or underpaid
accounts, as detailed above.
Further,
the tax is assessed on earned income and net profits, and no relevancy is given
to property ownership or rental status. 53 P.S. § 6924.501. The complainant
separately contacted Keystone and inquired why this notice concerned only the
2017 tax year. Per my review, employer withholding covered her reported local
earned income tax liability for other tax years. As such, no delinquent balance
was identified when comparing the DOR earnings information with Keystone’s
payments records.
Nevertheless, if the complainant
disputes the delinquent balance listed on her account on the basis of
residency, nontaxability, or unapplied credits, she is welcome to supply my
office with documentation in support.
I
appreciate the opportunity provided by the BBB to resolve the concerns of
taxpayers and improve our processes.
Thank
you for your attention to this matter.
Very
truly yours,
KEYSTONE
COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher
*. V******, EsquireInitial Complaint
Date:08/20/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Hi,
Keystone collections group send me a notice statement date 08/16/2022. Account Number ********. Invoice number : *********. Saying that we owe them Earned income tax of $3909.44, as part of Kennett consolidated School District. kennett Town Ship. We are NOT IN kennett school neither in Chester County, PA. We live in * *** *** *** ****** **** ** *****, which comes under Delaware County, PA and out school district is Unionville-Chaddsford. They are just harassing us and trying to collect money when we are not even in their zone. Kindly help us resolve the matterBusiness Response
Date: 08/29/2022
Dear Ms. ******,
Thank
you for contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this
complaint ID number. In his complaint, the complainant advised that he was
issued a delinquent local earned income tax (“EIT”) notice seeking taxes for an
area in which he did not reside.
Please
know that I have thoroughly reviewed the complainant’s account. Pursuant to the
information exchange mandate of the Local Tax Enabling Act (“LTEA”), Keystone is supplied with limited
earnings information from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (“DOR”) used
to identify unpaid or underpaid accounts. See 53 P.S. § 6924.509(g). Based on a
comparison between this information and Keystone’s records, this discrepancy
was identified.
Understanding
that the information supplied by the DOR may be inaccurate, Keystone provides
taxpayers with ample notice prior to the initiation of adverse legal or
collection action. The Notice itself provides taxpayers with common examples of
situations in which the tax may not be due. Through the LTEA, Tax Officers such as
Keystone are vested with the right to request documentation to verify the
accuracy of a tax return, or if no tax return was filed, to ascertain the
amount of tax due. See 53 P.S. § 6924.509(f).
In response to his receipt of the Notice, the
complainant submitted documentation evidencing his residency. Accordingly, the
complainant’s account has been closed and this matter resolved.
I appreciate the opportunity provided by the BBB to
resolve the concerns of taxpayers and improve our processes.
Thank you
for your attention to this matter.
Very
truly yours,
KEYSTONE
COLLECTIONS GROUP
By:
Christopher
*. V******Customer Answer
Date: 09/02/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
****** *****Initial Complaint
Date:08/19/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I was living in Florida in the year 2019 until 2021 when I filed my taxes for this year I got a letter from Keystone stating that I owed them over $300 for an uncollected tax from 2018 I believe this is an error because number one I did not live in that house for a full year I was living in my parents home I filed all of my taxes and paid all the money due properly my employer lives in the state of New Jersey and we have always paid taxes and money due this is the first time that I’m ever receiving any type of notice that I owed money from over four years ago they stayed that I also oh back pay delinquency notices because I’ve never paying this prior to they stated that they sent letters out several times but I told him that I lived in Florida from 2019 on and I wouldn’t have gotten their letters I sent them several documentations proving that I didn’t live in that house for an entire year and proving that I paid all of the money that was owed in that year furthermore I got another letter stating that they want a years worth of data yet again I tried to call and speak to somebody the lady on the phone was extremely rude and told me that I should’ve known how to pay this and that they will never send a notice saying that money is due and that it’s my fault for not doing it and that I shouldn’t of known to pay therefore I am liable for all the delinquent payments yet I was never notified properly all the delinquent payments I think this is ridiculous in the way that they conduct themselves and their businesses are trying to cheat people out of money from over four years ago. I also only made 20k in 2018 and I am not paying 352 plus late fees when I was never notified of such . This business is a scam and it’s a shame they try to attack people who have no extra money to give.Business Response
Date: 09/28/2022
Thank you for contacting Keystone Collections Group (“Keystone”) regarding this complaint ID number. In her complaint, the complainant advised that she received a delinquent local earned income tax notice for the 2018 tax year. The complainant disputed the delinquent balance on her account.
As a preliminary matter, Keystone serves as the duly appointed Tax Officer for 19 tax collection districts across the Commonwealth, including the Bucks County Tax Collection District. In this capacity, Keystone is responsible for the administration and collection of local earned income taxes from all communities within the Tax Collection District that levy the tax.
The Local Tax Enabling Act (“LTEA”) requires all taxpayers making earned income and/or net profits to file a local earned income tax return with their resident tax officer. 53 P.S. § 6924.502 (c). It is the duty of the tax officer “[t]o collect, reconcile, administer and enforce income taxes imposed on residents and nonresidents of each political subdivision included in the tax collection district.” 53 P.S. §6924.509(a)(1).
Please know that I have thoroughly reviewed the complainant’s account. Per my review, the complainant advised that she resided in New Jersey for a portion of the tax year at issue. However, the complainant did not file a local earned income tax return with Keystone. Using limited earnings information supplied by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (“DOR”), this delinquency was identified. The LTEA provides that “the tax officer of each tax collection district shall ensure that the tax collection district enters into an agreement with the Department of Revenue for the exchange of information as necessary for the collection of income taxes.” 53 P.S. § 6924.509(g). Pursuant to this information exchange mandate, Keystone is supplied with limited earnings information used to identify unpaid or underpaid accounts, as detailed above.
The complainant was issued an initial delinquent notice on or about July 31, 2021. The complainant did not respond to such notice. Accordingly, a follow-up notice was issued on May 10, 2022. The complainant contacted Keystone and spoke with a representative, who directed her to submit documentation. On July 29, 2022, as a result of a review of the documentation the complainant submitted, Keystone issued a document request letter seeking a copy of the complainant’s PA-40 Personal Income Tax Return and W-2(s). The complainant has yet to supply such documentation.
Keystone has received no employer withholdings on the complainant’s behalf. Further, the complainant supplied Keystone with a New Jersey income tax return, which she filed as a “non-resident.” As a result, the information supplied by the DOR indicates that the complainant filed as a resident of Pennsylvania.
Please know that the penalty and interest assessed on this account are statutorily mandated and owed to the taxing authorities when the tax is not paid when due. Further, Keystone is statutorily authorized to assess collection costs on delinquent taxpayers. Nevertheless, if the complainant disputes the delinquent balance listed on her account on the basis of residency, nontaxability, or unapplied credits, she is welcome to supply my office with documentation as previously requested.
I appreciate the opportunity provided by the BBB to resolve the concerns of taxpayers and improve our processes.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
KEYSTONE COLLECTIONS GROUP
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