This article was originally published at ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1429400
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1429400
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Simply un-American that we could pay taxes without the help of tech support based 12,000 miles away. Next, the damn dems will want families of prisoners to be able to pay less than $3/minute to call their families.
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I can hear the cries of socialism now.
Along with the sound of the jackboots of Rick Scott’s armed IRS agents.
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Florida Dept of Revenue makes it easy as pie to file corporate sales & use taxes online. And the FDofR people are actually pretty nice if you need help.
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It may require the study, but nothing will come of it. Intuit and H&R Block make too much money off these services.
What I’d really like to see is the IRS publish a legitimate e-filing service of its own to give it some legitimacy.
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So this means I’d have to make money to take advantage?
This sucks.
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I know somebody who will take advantage of that free filing option!
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Believe it or not, one of the biggest opponents of allowing the IRS to file taxes for free was Congressman John Lewis. I still don’t know why he was so against it? Was TurboTax or H&R Block headquartered in his district?
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OT:
Barnes Up In Wisconsin - TPM – Talking Points Memo
Maybe it’s a case that people have had enough of RoJo’s do-nothing platform in the Senate. I cannot name a single thing this guy has done that benefitted the people of Wisconsin. He’s come across with some seriously stupid statements, something he hadn’t done before. I believe he thinks his seat is so safe, he can be controversial and inflammatory. I think he’s going to find out the hard way, that it wasn’t quite so safe.
Not to mention: voters are starting to get a little more aware of how long people have been in the Congress. Given a fresh face, especially in light of the last several Congressional sessions, it might just be time for a change.
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I don’t pay taxes (but no one wants to hear that), but I’m happy anyway because we’re finally talking about something related to Democrats and not just dastardly repugs.
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I really hope Barnes pulls it off.
RoJo’s time is up.
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I won’t be moving out to CT before the election (given that I have to be on the project in California on 31 October), so I will be a vote for Barnes. Dear Hubby will be as well, from all reports.
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I started filing my dad’s taxes a few years ago, and was able to use the free system. It was actually really challenging at first to find the free option on the various websites I found, and then I came across On Line Taxes, and that has worked well. I used to use TurboTax to file taxes, but since they became more complicated my wife got her accountant friend to help us. It was always irritating to use TurboTax, because I knew I could do the taxes myself but making my way through all the forms for itemizing was a real burden…paying when it really was not that complicated was annoying.
The majority of Americans could have their tax forms filled in by the IRS based on the information they have, and just sign off if there weren’t any additions. That would save billions of dollars for average and poor Americans, and it’s a total scam that it hasn’t happened to this point. There’s a good chance Democrats can make it happen if they hold onto the House and Senate in the fall, this study will pave the way for implementing a free program.
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I always judge how good legislation is by how much monied special interests howl.
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What, large corporate entities don’t want citizens to be able to file their taxes for free? Heresy! Next thing you know, they will be pushing for socialized medicine!! Can you imagine the horror?
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They could do it easily, but that would reduce their value as a handy punching bag/scapegoat.
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I’ve used both HR Block and Intuit products and their main applications seem to serve more as promotion/advertising platforms for additional products and services than they serve as profit centers themselves; i.e., the tax programs work well and are relatively cheap, some of the additional products and services not so much.
Not sure what value added the IRS is supposed to provide; e.g., if their website is any example I’d personally stick with HR Block for prep. That aside, other than requiring a free electronic filing program – something that is already widely available to federal filers below a certain income level – what else are they supposed to do?
Been using TT for at least a decade - it’s one of the reasons I stay W2 for my consulting - it’s a whole lot easier.
That’s not to say that I’ve not been audited. I have twice, but for the same ‘sin’. My financial advisor got involved with the first violation, but by the time I was advised of the first violation, I had the same violation the following year and it was already filed. The letter from my F.A. got me off on the first violation - it was a change in rules that he’d missed. But the second one, they got me fair and square. Identical violation. I paid the penalty and went on with my life. But it was TT’s fault.
There’ve been some squirrelly stuff I’ve had issues with, but one of my close friends does income taxes for others and I can usually get clarification from him. He also uses TT, so it helps a lot.
However, it would be a whole lot easier if the IRS would just say what they wanted and get on with it.
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I don’t mind paying for tax software every year. But it goddamn enrages me that, having paid for the software, I am charged extra for the privilege of having the IRS take my goddamn money if I owe taxes and file online.
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I find e-filing is fine. They don’t charge me for the feds, but I have too many State forms and I end up paying for those, along with the filing.
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