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Killing TurboTax

kunle.app

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Re: Killing TurboTax

#71

Post by lotsofpulp »

tootie wrote: post #45
mattwad wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Filing taxes should be much simpler and free for everyone, but they lobby the government to prevent that, among other things. Quick Google search result: https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-f... .

For one, I don't blame a company for lobbying for their interests. Lobbying is protected by the first amendment. Congress has sole authority to author and vote on legislation at the pleasure of the electorate. The fact that TT (and H&R Block) have impressed upon reps that they will participate in Free File, it mitigates their need to make a government-sponsored program. Which isn't just barricaded by simply force of…

I do blame companies (and people who work at those companies) for spending their time trying to figure out how to waste as much of their fellow countryman's time and money as possible every year. Just like I would blame people for trying to get away with legally polluting waterways or any other public resource.

>The fact that TT (and H&R Block) have impressed upon reps that they will participate in Free File, it mitigates their need to make a government-sponsored program.

It's a half assed solution so they can say they did something and give them political cover.

Re: Killing TurboTax

#72

Post by coldpie »

xrd wrote: post #55
ed25519FUUU wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was just thinking that an open-source tax engine is the way to go in the future. I would like to see it maintained by the USGOV.

> please don't use this software to file your taxes for the 2020 / 2021 tax season. I wonder if there is a PR that Intuit filed to add this to the readme. Seriously, I wonder how much money Intuit has spent to terrify people into using their software. Each year, I look around for alternatives so I can avoid giving them money, and each year I find some reason to grow fearful of an IRS audit and go with the company tha…

Unless you really screw up[1], or are intentionally trying to screw the IRS[2], you don't have to worry about an audit. The IRS's goal isn't to bring down their wrath upon you, their goal is to accurately collect the taxes they are due. If you pay too little, they'll ask you to pay the difference. If you pay too much, they'll refund it. Really: I once used the single-payer tax table instead of the filing-jointly tax table, and they sent me a nice letter explaining my error alongside a big check.

[1] http://achewood.com/index.php?date=02102004

[2] http://achewood.com/index.php?date=02272003

Re: Killing TurboTax

#73

Post by germinalphrase »

aphextron wrote: post #17
toomuchtodo wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're paying for a service that should be provided for free by the IRS, as happens in many other developed countries. It's unnecessary financial drag on the economy.

>You're paying for a service that should be provided for free by the IRS, as happens in many other developed countries. But Turbotax is free for 1040EZ filers. It's only in an instance where you would otherwise just hire a tax accountant that they charge you. In terms of SAAS pricing, it comes out to like $15/month annualized. It's a bargain IMO.

> But Turbotax is free for 1040EZ filers. It's only in an instance where you would otherwise just hire a tax accountant that they charge you.

This is incorrect in practice. Through dark patterns and otherwise, an extremely small minority filing without paying even if they should be “eligible” (which is itself an absurd position).

Re: Killing TurboTax

#74

Post by dyeje »

sgwealti wrote: post #6

Or the IRS could file our taxes for us for free.

This. You can't kill TurboTax with tech, it has to be done with policy. TurboTax is in this position because they lobbied their way to it. Any tech solution will just be further lobbied into oblivion.

Re: Killing TurboTax

#75

Post by somehnguy »

TurboTax is disgusting. I used them for a few years in the past due to their great marketing and easy to use website. But they pulled a bait & switch on me last year, at the last minute (after I had done everything) I was required to pay north of $120 to actually file.

The problem isn't that they want money to use their software, it's that they're not upfront about it. Free is thrown in your face about 100 times during the process and then they surprise you right at the end after you've already invested a bunch of your time.

My taxes are dead simple - I just don't trust myself or care enough to file without some software assistance. This year I'm using a different company who appears to be much less shady and will never use TurboTax again. I hope TurboTax making my money once was enough to lose me as a customer for life. In reality I hope the company ceases to exist in the near future, but that seems unlikely.

I'm excited at the prospect of free & open source tax software - for next year maybe.

Re: Killing TurboTax

#76

Post by rtkwe »

mavelikara wrote: post #59
sgwealti wrote: post #6

Or the IRS could file our taxes for us for free.

Or IRS could let me know what they expect my taxes to be, and I could *choose* to agree to IRS's calculation, or provide my own.

That's what they're system would be in essence, you'd get a piece of mail saying this is what you'd pay taking what we know and using the standard deduction. If you want you could calculate any itemized deductions and resumbit.

Re: Killing TurboTax

#78

Post by hanniabu »

mattwad wrote: post #27

Try freetaxusa.com if you're looking for a free alternative that has an equally friendly user interface!

Only free for federal. Also doesn't seem to be open source so who knows if they're logging your social security number and other info.

Re: Killing TurboTax

#79

Post by wwww4all »

jounker wrote: post #47
sgwealti wrote: post #6

Or the IRS could file our taxes for us for free.

This is the solution. We can already do this. A pilot program was run. The problem is that the anti tax wing of the Republican party and Turbotax are actively opposed. Instead of developing software, we should be writing our representatives.

Democrats have the entire government now, President, senate and the house. Democrats had filibuster proof majority when Obama was president.

Why are you just blaming Republicans?

Re: Killing TurboTax

#80

Post by motbob »

sgwealti wrote: post #6

Or the IRS could file our taxes for us for free.

The IRS can simplify the process, sure. And if you are living alone, have no children, and don't care about taking advantage of any special credits or deductions, then a "file for me" button would be fine. (Though the process for those taxpayers is already in a good place--I filed my taxes for free in about 30 minutes this year.)

But if you, say, have children, the IRS will not be able to "file for you" in any meaningful sense. Whether you are allowed to claim dependents on tax returns is a complicated question that is highly fact-specific. Happily, the IRS does not have cameras in my house checking to see if my children are living with me. I have to report that information to the IRS myself.

Drive for Uber? Your taxes are also gonna be pretty complicated, and there's no way the IRS can do them for you. After all, they don't have any information on how many miles you drove for Uber and what other business expenses you might have had.

Right now, the system we have is pretty good. Most people qualify for free filing, and free-file tools get better every year. At worst, there is an issue of consumer education (psst, you might be able to find a better/cheaper tax filing option than Turbotax).

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