Why do I have to pay a fee when using my credit card to pay my taxes?

Under the terms of the contract that the Maryland Comptroller's Office maintains with Official Payments Corporation to provide credit card payment services for Maryland tax obligations, Official Payments Corporation is allowed to charge a convenience fee for processing credit card transactions. The fee is not paid to the state of Maryland. For more information about credit card payments, see Paying Maryland Taxes with a Credit Card.

There is no fee involved if you pay your taxes by direct debit, when you file electronically.