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Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

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Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#191

Post by ensignavenger »

coldacid wrote: post #179
ensignavenger wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have used Credit Karma Tax since it came out (I think this year was 3 years) and it has been a great product and is free for both federal and state filings. Doesn't support some more complex scenarios, notably partial year and multi-state returns (you can still file your Federal return with it, though). Edited to add additional details as to what isn't supported.

So rather than feed Intuit, you'll feed Google? EDIT: Ignore this comment, poster threw ID-10T exception

Huh, what does Credit Karma have to do with Google?

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#192

Post by ensignavenger »

bsimpson wrote: post #164
ensignavenger wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have used Credit Karma Tax since it came out (I think this year was 3 years) and it has been a great product and is free for both federal and state filings. Doesn't support some more complex scenarios, notably partial year and multi-state returns (you can still file your Federal return with it, though). Edited to add additional details as to what isn't supported.

Have you compared to TurboTax? Is one better than the other at finding deductions?

I have not done taxes on both for the same year and compared the two. I have used TurboTax, as well as a variety of other online tax filing solutions, in the past. TurboTax might be better polished and provides better explanations, Credit Karma tax gets better every year, and I find the downsides to be a good trade off for not supporting Intuit.

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#193

Post by coldacid »

ensignavenger wrote: post #191
coldacid wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So rather than feed Intuit, you'll feed Google? EDIT: Ignore this comment, poster threw ID-10T exception

Huh, what does Credit Karma have to do with Google?

I heard that Google owns them, and only just checked and found out they don't. Oof.

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#194

Post by MR4D »

the_gastropod wrote: post #188
MR4D wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the free-priced government option will drive out the non-free commercial providers. Even if this only lasted a few years, it would put some of them out of business. In other words, for the same reason we have laws against unfair competition.

The U.S. used to primarily have for-profit firefighting. Switching to a state-run system drove out the commercial providers. And that's by all accounts, a wonderful thing. Business for the sake of business is not necessarily good. If the business does not provide real value any longer, it shouldn't exist.

So why not have the government run everything then?

Government for the sake of government is never good.

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#195

Post by MR4D »

MR4D wrote: post #174

You know, I get the uproar about this, but I'd like to put one thought into your heads before you respond: Imagine, as complicated as tax forms are, and as obtuse as the IRS instructions are compared to TurboTax. Now imagine the government puts up a website for you to file your taxes. Do you really want to use that? Do you think it will be as easy to use? Do you think you'll have a nice wizard to walk you through it?…

So, while doing some more research (trying to get my job done, too, but...HN calls..) I found this:

If you make under $66,000 a year, filing your taxes online is probably free.

Every year only about three million people — of the nearly 100 million eligible — take advantage of the private partnership the Internal Revenue Service has set up with tax giants such as Intuit Inc and H&R Block Inc. to provide free tax preparation online, according to Tim Hugo, director of the Free File Alliance, which is made up of major tax preparers that manage the Free File program.

SOURCE: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-file-your-taxes-for...

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#196

Post by MR4D »

While doing some research (trying to get my job done, too, but HN calls...) I found this:

If you make under $66,000 a year, filing your taxes online is probably free.

Every year only about three million people — of the nearly 100 million eligible — take advantage of the private partnership the Internal Revenue Service has set up with tax giants such as Intuit Inc and H&R Block Inc. to provide free tax preparation online, according to Tim Hugo, director of the Free File Alliance, which is made up of major tax preparers that manage the Free File program.

SOURCE: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-file-your-taxes-for...

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#197

Post by otikik »

linuxftw wrote: post #176
otikik wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then vote a better government.

Why do you believe voting works? Remember when people voted for BRexit?

I believe "Voting doesn't work" works very well for preserving the status quo. Don't you agree?

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#198

Post by mleonhard »

floren wrote: post #113
TheHypnotist wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are suitable alternatives? Aren't they the best in class, regardless of how shitty that class is?

I have worked with an independent tax preparer for the last few years. In January, I walk over to a nearby restaurant where we meet, I hand over tax documents, she makes sure it's all there and asks some brief questions. A week or two later, she sends the completed state & federal forms along with the appropriate authorizations which will allow her to file on my behalf. I pay $200 for this service and consider it far…

I also hired an independent tax preparer, to avoid paying Intuit. They did a good job. I was disappointed when I received their payment form and found it was hosted on Intuit. I had paid Intuit by proxy. :(

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#199

Post by catbird »

TheHypnotist wrote: post #108
onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I will say, vote with your dollars. If you don't like Intuit's lobbying, please don't feed the beast and use their services.

What are suitable alternatives? Aren't they the best in class, regardless of how shitty that class is?

If your taxes aren't complicated (i.e. you use the standard deduction), there's a service called "Free Fillable Forms" through the IRS that allows you to fill out your tax forms online and e-file them for free. Many states have an equivalent system as well.

Last year I went to an independent preparer, which cost me around $160 and took an hour. This year I wanted to save some money so I decided to try filing myself and it was pleasantly straightforward, only taking two hours. The only tedious part was copying over the info from the W2 for both federal and state.

Re: Congress Is About to Ban the US Government from Offering Free Online Tax Filing

#200

Post by anoncake »

mercutio2 wrote: post #75
teekert wrote: post #64

I feel sorry for people living in the US, how can they call this a democracy anymore? Demos means people. You are ruled by companies at this point.

Good thing they don’t call it a democracy! It’s a republic. There’s a meaningful difference.

If the most positive thing to say about the US political system is that it does not feature a monarch...
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