Idaho plans to shut down face-to-face customer service at its five Tax Commission field offices outside Boise on Aug. 2, to free workers in those offices to focus on audits and collections. That means customer service that's been offered for more than 35 years in Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Twin Falls will go away. Instead, people who come to those offices will find a lobby phone that'll connect them to a customer-service center in Boise, and a drop box for payments.

"It's a big change," said the commission's tax policy supervisor, Dan John. "But, you know, we haven't experienced the kind of strain on resources that we've had in the last couple of years, so you have to look at everything we do. Are we doing it the best way possible? And technology has changed." You can read my full story here at spokesman.com

Once the change comes, customers with questions may be better off calling or emailing from home, instead of visiting their local state tax offices. The Idaho Tax Commission's toll-free information number is (800) 972-7660, the the email address for general tax questions is taxrep@tax.idaho.gov.