Virginia Department of Taxation Wins Three International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Awards

Virginia's Department of Taxation (TAX) recently captured international recognition for its highly successful advertising and public relations campaign to educate Virginia taxpayers on availability and features of the tax amnesty program conducted last fall.  The tributes, two first place and one merit award, came from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for the Virginia Tax Amnesty public awareness media campaign. 

IABC presented the awards jointly to the Virginia Department of Taxation and CGI-AMS, formerly AMS, which co-managed the Amnesty program with TAX in collaboration with Barber Martin Advertising and The Hodges Partnership.

TAX and CGI-AMS entered three categories of the competition and received recognition in all three.  IABC announced the coveted first place Gold Quill award to the Amnesty partners in each of two classes, the Marketing Communications and the Economic, Social & Environmental Development categories.  Finally, for the category of Multi-Audience Communications, the Amnesty effort roped in a runner-up Merit Award for the team.

Awards were extended in 20 categories by the prestigious IABC organization with membership of more than 13,000 in 60 countries. For 25 years, a Gold Quill award has been considered the highest honor that business communicators can bestow on their peers to recognize excellence in communications. Both public and private organizations participate.

Tasked with the responsibility to educate delinquent taxpayers and the public about the availability and terms of the Amnesty Program, the campaign also was charged with motivating delinquents to catch up on their taxes.  Primarily the handiwork of Barber Martin Advertising and The Hodges Partnership, the campaign was cleverly designed around the Tax Letterman icon, and integrated advertising, media relations, public relations, online WEB applications, and employee communications. The revenue goal for the program was $48.5 million.  Collections far exceeded the goal with an estimated $98.3 million in Amnesty payments above normal delinquent collections for the period - 202 percent of the target. 

Tax Commissioner Ken Thorson commented that "the employees of the Virginia Department of Taxation, and its private sector partners - CGI-AMS, Barber Martin Advertising and The Hodges Partnership -- are all very excited that the IABC acknowledged and saluted the success of the Commonwealth's Amnesty Program. To be recognized along with other very prominent public and private organizations is truly an honor."