Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015) • Hacker News Board

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#141

Post by lern_too_spel » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:06 PM UTC

nightski wrote: post #59

scott_s wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people have boring taxes. For those people with interesting taxes, they can do them themselves or pay someone else to do them. For the exceptional cases, this is what they already do. Arguing against something that simplifies an act for most people by pointing out that it doesn't apply to everyone does not make sense to me. I think it's almost important to keep in mind that the IRS already does your taxes. If wh…

If you have boring taxes this isn't a problem anyways. It's extremely simple to file if all you have is a W2. It can be done in about 10-15 minutes without any special knowledge.

I have "boring" taxes with many stock transactions. This is not simple to file.

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#142

Post by Joeri » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:07 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #101

Coding_Cat wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Set extremely low speeds that don't make sense on highways. Allow most people to go 10-15 above. I doubt people really speed because the limits have been set too low and the people know better what is an ideal speed limit. I think people_think_ they know better what the speed limit is, and/or reason "well if 60mph is okay, 75 mph can't be that bad, I'm barely speeding and I'm in a rush". At least, that's the attitud…

http://www.sehinc.com/news/truth-about-speed-limits-explaine... There is no guarantee that a speed limit will have any effect on driving behaviors. The fact is, when driving, most motorists choose a speed in which they personally feel both comfortable and safe.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn#Travel_speeds

on a free-flowing section in 1992, the recorded average speed was 132 km/h (82 mph) with 51% of drivers exceeding the recommended speed.

The autobahn has a long history proving that people feel comfortable and safe at excessive velocities.

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#143

Post by sctb » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:07 PM UTC

excalibur wrote: post #114

This should probably have a (2015) in the title. I'm not getting why there's a sudden interest in this. The article is over 3 years old, and it's not even close to tax season.

Thanks, we've updated the headline.

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#144

Post by triplee » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:08 PM UTC

Yes. Next question.

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#145

Post by zzzeek » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:08 PM UTC

packet_nerd wrote: post #130

Coding_Cat wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Set extremely low speeds that don't make sense on highways. Allow most people to go 10-15 above. I doubt people really speed because the limits have been set too low and the people know better what is an ideal speed limit. I think people_think_ they know better what the speed limit is, and/or reason "well if 60mph is okay, 75 mph can't be that bad, I'm barely speeding and I'm in a rush". At least, that's the attitud…

Just my observation, in my state the highway speed limit is 80 and people drive at right around 80, and drop down to 75 at night. Then, on a Texas road where it was 85, I was surprised to see most people still going about 80. And in a neighboring state where the speed limit is 70 for similar roads, people still drive right around 80. And once I drove through Chicago at night through a stretch where the speed limit wa…

it's the cars. the relative motion that is transferred into the cab, the handling, etc. back in the 70s/80s when folks drove huge metal deathtraps with barely any seatbelt that nobody wore anyway, on top of a giant floating weight distribution that would easily spin out, 80mph was an insanely high speed.

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#146

Post by digi_owl » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:08 PM UTC

And once more the supposed nation of the future shows itself to be massively stuck in the past...

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#147

Post by zip1234 » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:09 PM UTC

noir_lord wrote: post #63

rb808 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lower taxes? In France the bracket for a family for €104,120 to €279,132 is only 30%. Sure if you live in Oaklahoma you might pay less than that but CA/NY state taxes plus property taxes, plus fewer investment tax free options, I think US taxes are now similar or higher. Ie 28% federal + 10% state + 10% property taxes equals nearly 50%. Sure sales tax is lower. Plus - you still have to pay for your medical care, and…

In the UK you don't pay 45% until 150,000 and only 45% on any amount over 150,000 as it's tiered.

20% VAT on everything makes a difference as well although it isn't an income tax

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#148

Post by zebraflask » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:09 PM UTC

stephengillie wrote: post #3

I'm annoyed that there is no simple system for the IRS to tell me what I owe, and let me pay or dispute. Instead, we play this game where the IRS provides a bunch of complicated documents, I guess which ones to fill out and submit, then wait 3 years to see if I was randomly chosen to see if I was correct. So it's very easy to make a mistake for dozens of years, then suddenly be penalized at random. It's the worst kin…

Their problem, not mine.

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#149

Post by jandrese » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:09 PM UTC

jedberg wrote: post #67

I pretty sure almost everyone would agree that having the IRS fill out a return and send it to you for approval would be better (except for the Norquist zealots that think the IRS would "hide" deductions from you). Most tax filers have a single W2 income and use the standard deduction, so the IRS would just send you a form that has that. For the rest of us who actually don't use the standard deduction, at least it wo…

Sending a pre-filled form that we can append with any deductions would be the best. Hell, it could be a website. The web is great for filling in forms.

I live in Virginia and about a decade ago we had an online website to fill in the state taxes. It was so easy. H&R block bought off the legislature to have it shut down and now they charge one of the highest rates in the nation to file state taxes for Virginia. The stated reason for shutting it down was to save money, because $40k was apparently too expensive to save the residents of the state millions.

Re: Would You Let the I.R.S. Prepare Your Taxes? (2015)

#150

Post by ryanianian » Mon, Aug 13, 2018, 6:10 PM UTC

pratheekrebala wrote: post #140

ryanianian wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The IRS have all the data Not..entirely true. My 2016 taxes were professionally done, but we somehow forgot to include one of the something-something-1099 forms from a brokerage firm. The brokerage reported some RSU stock-sells to the IRS but didn't report the cost-basis, and so the IRS assumed the cost-basis was $0 and thus taxed the full sale as income (effectively double-taxing all the RSUs). They just sent a ta…

I don't think this would prevent you from using a CPA or Itemizing your return. However, this system could be very beneficial for the 68.5% of the population that doesn't itemize[1]. [1] https://taxfoundation.org/who-itemizes-deductions/

I think it would still happen with standard/non-itemized deductions. This particular case was mis-reported income. But agreed that my case (and really any cases that involve capital-gains) are probably in the vast minority.