For Immediate Release
March 1, 2010
Continuing its commitment to provide the simplest way of filing an
income tax extension, FileLater today announced it has integrated
Facebook Connect with its online service and is offering a free tax extension to any taxpayer with a Facebook account.
“Our integration with Facebook Connect makes filing a tax extension faster and easier than ever because customers can skip creating an account with us and get right to filing the extension,” says FileLater spokesperson Wes Masters.
After logging in to FileLater using Facebook Connect, users can file a tax extension for free by simply notifying 10 or more Facebook friends of FileLater’s service. Each friend that’s notified will receive an update on their Wall that includes a discount code good toward his or her own tax extension. Customers without Facebook accounts are offered a way to create one.
FileLater is the first tax extension service provider to use Facebook Connect. “Driving awareness can be one of the toughest marketing challenges a web business will ever face, especially in a hyper-competitive industry,” says Masters. “Our Facebook Connect integration allows us to reach out to potential customers in an entirely new way.”
Facebook Connect is a set of application programming interfaces (better known as APIs) that lends the Facebook identity and connections to other sites and applications, thus eliminating the need for multiple website accounts. According to Facebook, more than 60 million Facebook users engage with Facebook Connect on external websites every month.
Until recently, the 15 million individuals and businesses that file a tax extension each year had to not only figure out the process on their own, but also had to file using pencil and paper. FileLater has changed the industry by removing tax jargon out of the process, allowing taxpayers to file an IRS extension in minutes using their computer and an online connection. Implementing Facebook Connect is another game-changer for the industry.
While tax preparation isn’t usually associated with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, FileLater has already been a trendsetter in transforming tax service marketing by launching innovative campaigns via Twitter and the blogosphere.