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Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

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Re: Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

#21

Post by minikites »

krferriter wrote: post #12

Given how much H&R Block and Intuit have unethically and corruptly leeched from the government and the taxpayers directly, I think the should literally be nationalized and have their tax software platforms absorbed into the IRS. Their company activities over the last few decades are so flagrantly, indisputably bad for the country. There's literally no upside, none at all. They have intentionally sabotaged tax filing…

I agree wholeheartedly and I think health insurance companies should receive the same treatment, they act in the same way and cause the same problems. The incentives of these companies are at odds with the interests of society and they should be run by society, not for private profit.

Re: Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

#22

Post by runawaybottle »

krferriter wrote: post #18
runawaybottle wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think their software is good and I usually have a very easy time filing taxes. In comparison, I remember filling out my FAFSA application and that being long ordeal. I don’t think government has the willingness to create a seamless tax-filing experience. Who is stopping the IRS from making a competing easy to use tax filing website? Are people suggesting Intuit is stopping a good product team from operating within…

They're a corrupt, profiteering company that does everything it legally can to stop people from filing taxes for free. https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-f...

But listen to my argument, I’m willing to pay to have an easier time filing my taxes. I’m not going to use IRS’s tool if it doesn’t make it a painless process like TurboTax.

So I ask again, will the IRS make a painless tool? If the answer is yes, but Intuit is lobbying them not to, then I understand your point.

If it’s just about free vs non-free, I could care less. Filing taxes or filling out anything for the government is usually an awful experience and I’m willing to pay to not have to deal with it.

Re: Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

#23

Post by wayoutthere »

runawaybottle wrote: post #16
azinman2 wrote: post #11

Intuit is a perfect example to me of the flawed reality in a libertarian ideology. We know they’re terrible, we know their products aren’t great… yet where are all the meaningful competitors? People who are at least meeting their bar if not substantially exceeding it? It’s not like this is a new industry that takes time to bake. Where are the YC startups trying to take them on? Meanwhile they continue to make live ex…

I think their software is good and I usually have a very easy time filing taxes. In comparison, I remember filling out my FAFSA application and that being long ordeal. I don’t think government has the willingness to create a seamless tax-filing experience. Who is stopping the IRS from making a competing easy to use tax filing website? Are people suggesting Intuit is stopping a good product team from operating within…

Their software is not very good and a legit accountant costs about $200 if your taxes are relatively simple. Said acccountant will save you more than $200 over TurboTax because TurboTax is not very good — this goes double if you’re in a more complex tax situation. And the accountant is even more seamless since all you do is hand over your paperwork and let them do everything else.

And the great irony is that said accountant is likely using an Intuit product anyway. So it’s not like they don’t have the ability to make good products for the consumer market, they choose not to.

Re: Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

#25

Post by cbhl »

dhosek wrote: post #3
WisNorCan wrote: post #2

Intuit is consistently one of the least ethical actors in tech. They have a monopoly position in many of their products and take advantage of some of the poorest people through misinformation and lobbying. Facebook & Uber have received most of the heat over the past few years. Intuit has strangely avoided the same level of scrutiny.

Around 2009 my taxes grew complicated enough that I could no longer do them by hand and had to start using tax software for them. I've consistently refused to use TurboTax because the company is so evil. H&R Block is not necessarily a more ethical company, but at the very least, there's not more unethical. (And I'm vaguely aware of there being some open-source tax software of some sort out there, but when I looked it…

Is H&R block actually an independent code base? The last time I opened it, it looked like a page-for-page copy of TurboTax, which made me wonder whether it was just a white-label reskin of the same.

Re: Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

#26

Post by aceazzameen »

randomhodler84 wrote: post #13

Consider using credit karma tax (run by good guy Jack Dorsey); it was forced to be split out from CK when they were bought by intuit. It’s free, it supports nearly everything you would need these days.

This was the first year I used Credit Karma Tax. I found it easier than Turbo Tax in some ways. Turbo Tax has these wizards that ask various questions. In some edge cases, I needed to research how a question applies to my scenario. Credit Karma basically just wants raw data. Searching about a form number is much easier than an obscure Inuit question.

Both systems output the same result, so I used CK.

Re: Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

#27

Post by throwawayboise »

lvspiff wrote: post #15
dhosek wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Around 2009 my taxes grew complicated enough that I could no longer do them by hand and had to start using tax software for them. I've consistently refused to use TurboTax because the company is so evil. H&R Block is not necessarily a more ethical company, but at the very least, there's not more unethical. (And I'm vaguely aware of there being some open-source tax software of some sort out there, but when I looked it…

does H&R Block handle investments and cost basis year over year information? That's the only tripping point im finding with whatever product I look to in comparison to Turbotax. Once your tax situation starts down that path I'm noticing getting a product that can pull from multiple investment accounts and keep track of cost basis correctly really narrows it down to Turbotax so far for me.

At that point why not engage an accounting firm? Yes it would probably cost more, but you're supporting your local economy and have a human being to discuss any questions with (as well as be responsible for any mistakes).

Re: Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

#28

Post by caseyross »

What's telling is that TurboTax's UX is really, really, good, deceptive pricing aside. Like, so good I almost enjoy using it to do my taxes.

The very fact that Intuit has clearly invested money into making a beautiful interface for a tax program, a program that people use once a year, just goes to show how profitable the current arrangement is for them, and how determined they are to keep the average taxpayer from switching to any competing tax filing ecosystem.

Re: Intuit sabotages the Child Tax Credit

#30

Post by intrepidhero »

slg wrote: post #10

I wish people in the US would stop blaming specific bad actors in a system for acting in their own best interest and start blaming the system that empowers them. ExxonMobil and Intuit lobby the government in their own best interest just like FAANG companies and basically everyone else that has the size to do it. That is how our system is designed. It isn't Intuit's fault this works, but since it does work, they would…

I think its fair to blame both.
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