Follow the Dollar: Why Does It Cost Money to Pay the Government Money?

Tennessee residents can pay substantially different fees for the same basic act: using a card to pay a government bill online. The government often says it does not keep the extra money.

Tennessee residents can pay substantially different fees for the same basic act: using a card to pay a government bill online. The government often says it does not keep the extra money. So who does — and what exactly is the public buying?

By Brandon L. Burley
Systems Explained

The tax bill is $5,000.

Pay it by credit card online in Knox County and the publ…