Section 3A. For the purposes of collecting certain taxes, the commissioner is authorized to enter into agreements with one or more private persons, companies, associations or corporations doing business in the commonwealth to provide collection services within and outside the commonwealth with respect to unpaid taxes. No such agreement shall be entered into unless proposals for the same have been invited in accordance with regulations governing the procurement by state agencies of contracts of similar value. All such proposals shall be opened in public. The commissioner may reject any or all of such proposals. The commissioner shall not assign the account of any taxpayer to a private collection agency until such taxpayer has been sent a notice at least thirty days prior thereto, of the intention of the commissioner to so assign the collection of such unpaid taxes of such taxpayer. Any such agreement may provide, in the discretion of the commissioner, the manner in which the compensation for such services will be paid. Under standards established by the commissioner, such compensation shall be added to the amount of the tax and collected as a part thereof by the contractor; deducted and retained by the contractor from the amount of tax collected; or paid by the commonwealth from the amount of tax collected without further appropriation therefor.

The commissioner shall, as part of his annual report under section six list all private persons, companies, associations or corporations with whom the commissioner has agreements for collection services during the fiscal year and the amount of taxes collected by and the compensation paid to each such person, company, association or corporation.