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Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

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Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#11

Post by bigums »

onetom wrote: post #6

i'm not from the US, but i did work on forms related to government workflows. it bugged me for a long time why a person can't store facts about themselves and let some software figure out which of those facts are needed for filling out any form, which needs the usual personal facts. then one can review the required facts and decide which ones are they willing to share. in fact governments could even standardize the k…

Sounds similar to what Tim Berners-Lee was working on with Solid (https://solidproject.org/about).

Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#13

Post by hermannj314 »

For what it is worth, the Big Beautiful Bill contains this gem...

As soon as practicable, and not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure that the Internal Revenue Service Direct File program has been terminated.

(This is the text of the bill on the website as of the time I posted this, it can change or be wrong now.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/te...)

Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#14

Post by [deleted] »

hermannj314 wrote: post #13

For what it is worth, the Big Beautiful Bill contains this gem... As soon as practicable, and not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure that the Internal Revenue Service Direct File program has been terminated. (This is the text of the bill on the website as of the time I posted this, it can change or be wrong now. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119t…

[deleted]

Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#15

Post by citizenpaul »

That is really awesome, which I could give more upvotes. I hope you can keep it running and get some support. (sry i've made it a life mission to avoid javascript when possible)

It really is embarrassing how ineffective and useless the US gov has become.

Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#16

Post by 2Gkashmiri »

onetom wrote: post #6

i'm not from the US, but i did work on forms related to government workflows. it bugged me for a long time why a person can't store facts about themselves and let some software figure out which of those facts are needed for filling out any form, which needs the usual personal facts. then one can review the required facts and decide which ones are they willing to share. in fact governments could even standardize the k…

Taxes work on "self assessment" basis meaning you, the taxpayer have the burden to declare all facts relevant to assessment of your tax and you pay the tax.

Then, sometimes your case is picked for audit and then they check if what you declared is correct as per applicable laws or not.

See, here is a small mom and pop shop... who owns that? Is the premises on rent? How much ? Is the rent deed valid and proper? Maybe you are paying less rent than declaring? Are you actually employing people you say you are? Are you paying them exactly you say you are paying?

How would you ensure that fact db is not having funny data ?

Say i am saying i am paying 100 bucks a week for fuel but fact is, my shop is next door to my home and i am just pocketing this cash daily. If i keep putting this 100 bucks weekly expense in this factdb, how will govt know.that i am not lying?

Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#17

Post by 2Gkashmiri »

aspenmayer wrote: post #9
onetom wrote: post #6

i'm not from the US, but i did work on forms related to government workflows. it bugged me for a long time why a person can't store facts about themselves and let some software figure out which of those facts are needed for filling out any form, which needs the usual personal facts. then one can review the required facts and decide which ones are they willing to share. in fact governments could even standardize the k…

I think the post office could have been this, but the political will wasn't there. Separation of banking from taxation and the postal system from both of those for separation of concerns for compartmentalization was probably at the forefront of the minds of the founders, since Washington himself had run a spy network and been personally hunted by soldiers and mercenaries on their own turf during the revolution, so I…

> I think the post office could have been this

Explain. Id like to.know

Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#18

Post by citizenpaul »

hermannj314 wrote: post #13

For what it is worth, the Big Beautiful Bill contains this gem... As soon as practicable, and not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure that the Internal Revenue Service Direct File program has been terminated. (This is the text of the bill on the website as of the time I posted this, it can change or be wrong now. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119t…

Not that I needed any more proof of how disgustingly anti-human the government has become. So depressing.

Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#19

Post by aspenmayer »

2Gkashmiri wrote: post #17
aspenmayer wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the post office could have been this, but the political will wasn't there. Separation of banking from taxation and the postal system from both of those for separation of concerns for compartmentalization was probably at the forefront of the minds of the founders, since Washington himself had run a spy network and been personally hunted by soldiers and mercenaries on their own turf during the revolution, so I…

> I think the post office could have been this Explain. Id like to.know

I was responding to this aspect:

> it bugged me for a long time why a person can't store facts about themselves

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_savings_system

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Savings_S...

Hypothetically, you could have sent 0.01 to a friend and use the memo field as a poor man's postcard with free postage, provided in-system transactions were free, which they arguably ought to be, but likely never were or would be in actuality.

Re: Show HN: A continuation of IRS Direct File that can be self-hosted

#20

Post by wredcoll »

2Gkashmiri wrote: post #16
onetom wrote: post #6

i'm not from the US, but i did work on forms related to government workflows. it bugged me for a long time why a person can't store facts about themselves and let some software figure out which of those facts are needed for filling out any form, which needs the usual personal facts. then one can review the required facts and decide which ones are they willing to share. in fact governments could even standardize the k…

Taxes work on "self assessment" basis meaning you, the taxpayer have the burden to declare all facts relevant to assessment of your tax and you pay the tax. Then, sometimes your case is picked for audit and then they check if what you declared is correct as per applicable laws or not. See, here is a small mom and pop shop... who owns that? Is the premises on rent? How much ? Is the rent deed valid and proper? Maybe y…

That's how they work now in america. They don't have to.

As for fraud, the same way they check for lies now, cross reference reports and then audit.

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