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UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application

ustaxes.org

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Re: UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application

#31
post #30

Your government should just offer something like this. In my country I just check the data they collected to make sure it's correct (and until now it always has been) and click 'OK' - taxes done.

That’s an oversimplification. For example, how do you expect your home government to know about incomes/dividends/gains that you earned in other countries. And that’s just one example.

Re: UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application

#32
post #30

Your government should just offer something like this. In my country I just check the data they collected to make sure it's correct (and until now it always has been) and click 'OK' - taxes done.

That’s an oversimplification. For example, how do you expect your home government to know about incomes/dividends/gains that you earned in other countries. And that’s just one example.

They give you a space that you input it in, if there's something missing

how was that hard to figure out

Re: UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application

#35
post #34

I am programming Swiss tax software. Always interesting to see such initiatives (latest one in Switzerland: taxly.ch). What I do not understand is: Why would anyone want to do that job for free?

Same reason anyone does open source: by doing a bit you hope to lower the activation energy for people to participate and you hope to conquer a big problem with the sheer weight of multiple people.

Re: UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application

#37
Can this application actually e-file? From what I see it can help you fill out various tax forms, but you would need to manually file it (print/mail it in) rather than e-file. Is that correct? From the research I did, it seems that being able to e-file requires that you go through a complex process to get approved by the IRS (PDF: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p3112.pdf)

Re: UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application

#38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s an oversimplification. For example, how do you expect your home government to know about incomes/dividends/gains that you earned in other countries. And that’s just one example.

They give you a space that you input it in, if there's something missing how was that hard to figure out

> They give you a space that you input it in, if there's something missing

And someone working minimum wage with no overseas dividend income must manually read every space for these “missing” line items?

Seems like you’re wasting the minimum wage worker’s time.

Re: UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application

#39
post #30

Your government should just offer something like this. In my country I just check the data they collected to make sure it's correct (and until now it always has been) and click 'OK' - taxes done.

That’s an oversimplification. For example, how do you expect your home government to know about incomes/dividends/gains that you earned in other countries. And that’s just one example.

I think only the US double taxes its citizens like this.

Re: UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application

#40
post #30

Your government should just offer something like this. In my country I just check the data they collected to make sure it's correct (and until now it always has been) and click 'OK' - taxes done.

That’s an oversimplification. For example, how do you expect your home government to know about incomes/dividends/gains that you earned in other countries. And that’s just one example.

It is not. This is how it works in Singapore

Your employer reports your income to the tax authority.

They send you a tax assessment, including any reliefs they think you are eligible for. If it's correct, you just pay the amount.

Otherwise you can file an objection. But for the majority of people, the assessment is correct.

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