101–110 of 148 posts
If they signed a deal with the IRS how come they stil control how the product is displayed? Shouldn’t this free filing app be part of the IRS site, or directly linked from the IRS site (click here to file your taxes...)?
I haven't tried it, and some people tell of getting the runaround when trying to actually use it, but there it is.
Just curious, is there any value to making a clone of H&R Block / Intuit and making it open source (with also hosted somewhere)? It probably takes only a weekend for me to do this and I'll be happy to do it if there is significant interest from my fellow HNers. Besides, fuck Intuit, never been a fan of them for the exact reasons mentioned in the article.
http://opentaxsolver.sourceforge.net/
* Written in C * Hosted on SourceForge (why?) * Doesn't inspire confidence
If you're looking for a hackable version that I wrote a few years ago in python:
https://github.com/adsharma/tax
It's not that hard to come up with a basic version that handles the single w-2 with no deductions case.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
http://opentaxsolver.sourceforge.net/
This thing is: * Written in C * Hosted on SourceForge (why?) * Doesn't inspire confidence If you're looking for a hackable version that I wrote a few years ago in python: https://github.com/adsharma/tax It's not that hard to come up with a basic version that handles the single w-2 with no deductions case.
https://sourceforge.net/p/opentaxsolver/SrcCodeRepo/HEAD/tre...
The issue is more than free filing. Everything seems to be broken. I helped my brother in law file for an extension through the IRS web site. The IRS directed us to private companies including TurboTax to file the extension. We clicked on the free TurboTax link which nowhere had an ability to file for an extension! I finally told my brother in law to print the extension form and mail it to the IRS. The IRS should not…
> I finally told my brother in law to print the extension form and mail it to the IRS. What was wrong with this to begin with?
I switched to FreeTaxUSA and did everything for free (well for me because I live in TEXAS)...
I definitely think the US should have it's own system that individual states can extend however. The so-called "free" ones find any reason they can to swindle you.
I used TaxActOnline exclusively for all my taxes for the past 15 years and never paid more than $12 for any given year - so I will never be using them again.
FWIW, Turbotax/H&R's hiding of their Free File site pages was discussed here about a week ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19758126 They have since made their pages discoverable by search engines and have denied that it was intentional obfuscation. But the news in TFA is that apparently someone at (or formerly at) H&R leaked internal documents with explicit guidance: > “Do not send clients to this Web Site u…
Is there even a reason we have to file? My understanding is that if you don't file, the IRS knows about your W2 or 1099s anyway and will punish you, so what's even the point of filing yourself? Just have the IRS send a check or bill in the mail in April and end this nonsense industry.
There are many unknowns, perhaps not for you, but for other people. Also you need to file in order to have this 'discussion'/exchange. Perhaps the state erroneously thinks you made 500k and is taxing you accordingly when in reality you made 100k. You then prove the state wrong (whichever way) and you save yourself the tax$ and the pain.
I am not really in the camp of blaming either of these companies or any tax filing companies for issues like this. The real blame is Congress for making such a complex tax system will all their attempts to keep their offices secure. The tax system used to have meaning but generations of politicians found they could reward and punish with it and they did so with abandon. The system should never had become so complex a…
> The system should never had become so complex as to need a program. Actually there were bills in congress that would have made it so a program wasn't needed because the government would file on your behalf ( https://slate.com/business/2019/04/turbotax-bipartisan-tax-f... ). In most cases the government knows enough about you to calculate your taxes for you. Turbotax lobbied the government to kill these bills becaus…
“Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.” — Clay Shirky
The number of anti-TurboTax articles lately ... I get it, filing taxes could be easier but it isn't - on the scale of things to worry about, is it really that important? What about on the scale of things that government is inefficient at - does this rank in the top 1000? Again, I'm not saying we can't improve it, and I agree with calls for the IRS (and CRA) to send pre-filled forms. What I'm calling into question is…
No, I don't think you really get it. This isn't about taxes.
The problem is that a private corporation has corrupted the federal government to such an absurd extreme, that it has abdicated it's responsibility to it's own citizens. That's why this is such a big deal.
The fact that it happens to be manifesting through tax filing is a relevant detail, but not really the point specifically.
> What about on the scale of things that government is inefficient at
Again, you don't get it. The government is not inefficient. In fact, the government is so hyper-efficient at solving this problem, that private companies had to draft legislation outlawing the government from solving this problem, just to protect their inefficient lazy duopoly.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> It probably takes only a weekend for me to do this Seriously? I know there are "10x" developers out there (I actually have worked alongside one extensively) but the PDF export of all the forms and IRS eFile integration alone seems like it would take a little longer than a weekend, even for an extremely prolific developer.
In my opinion what makes a 10x developer are things that are (ironically) not quantitative. It's the wisdom and experience to keep yourself from going down the wrong track. Not progressing down the same track faster or better. For example, the humility, if nothing else, that would prevent you from taking seriously an instinct that you could replicate a huge business so casually. That's more valuable than any technica…
Seriously, working alongside a true "10x" developer is simultaneously humbling and astounding. The sheer quantity of quality output is beyond anything I ever thought possible (speaking as a senior developer myself).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there even a reason we have to file? My understanding is that if you don't file, the IRS knows about your W2 or 1099s anyway and will punish you, so what's even the point of filing yourself? Just have the IRS send a check or bill in the mail in April and end this nonsense industry.
I will assume that although we think the 'gov' knows all about our financial affairs, in reality they don't. E.g. receive some inheritance, selling of property with profit, started trading forex and you got income from that. There are many unknowns, perhaps not for you, but for other people. Also you need to file in order to have this 'discussion'/exchange. Perhaps the state erroneously thinks you made 500k and is ta…
Maybe it's different elsewhere but here tax it's simple, all electronic and a free service provided by the tax office for the majority of Australians.