California tried to save the nation from tax filing, then Intuit stepped in • Hacker News Board

Re: California tried to save the nation from tax filing, then Intuit stepped in

#301

Post by dionidium » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 1:21 AM UTC

psychometry wrote: post #295

dionidium wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alabama has a higher GDP per capita than Germany, Belgium, Israel, France, Japan, the U.K. and...I could go on. Alabama is doing well. We live in such an enormously wealthy country that it only looks bad by comparison. But not by comparison to basically anywhere else on Earth. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_between_U.S._states...

Hahahaha no, Alabama is not doing well...at anything. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/quality-of-...

In response to my claim that Alabama only looks bad by comparison to other U.S. states because of how rich the U.S. is, but that it's in fact a very wealthy place by comparison to everywhere else -- in response to this you offered...a ranking of U.S. states?

Re: California tried to save the nation from tax filing, then Intuit stepped in

#302

Post by brainwipe » Tue, Oct 26, 2021, 8:24 AM UTC

Macha wrote: post #87

fighterpilot wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do private tax prep companies have an argument they advance about why automatic filing is a bad idea? Or is it just pure behind scenes lobbying?

My understanding is the two pro arguments for manual filing are: If taxpayers aren't forced to confront the details of their tax payments every time they do a filing, they're less likely to complain about high taxes (this comes with the implication that high taxes are inherently bad, which depends on your political leaning) Taxpayers may just accept the automatic deduction without realising they're being overcharged…

Thanks for the input. I understand the concerns. As a Brit who checks his taxes, I've only been overcharged once when I changed jobs and the rebate was fixed the following month (I paid less tax that month). I do still have to file if I take a second contract weekend-work but it's not difficult.

Re: California tried to save the nation from tax filing, then Intuit stepped in

#303

Post by brainwipe » Tue, Oct 26, 2021, 8:25 AM UTC

Closi wrote: post #43

brainwipe wrote: post #2

Anyone got a tldr for a Brit staring at a paywall?

Basically, as a fellow Brit you will know that for most people your tax just happens automatically (typically through the PAYE system, so tax is taken before you get your paycheck, and we never have to even think about it). Then in the UK if you have more complex tax affairs, then you have to fill in a self assessment on the government portal (where it already knows most of your tax information, and you are pretty mu…

Thanks for the deets. I've never needed an accountant/tax person, even when I was working 2 tech jobs.

Re: California tried to save the nation from tax filing, then Intuit stepped in

#304

Post by pydry » Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 11:12 AM UTC

thebigman433 wrote: post #280

jjcon wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The "left" that has power in the US (establishment dems) barely qualify as being left at all So when the left does something you dont like, they must not be left? Smells of no true scottsman to me.

Im mostly comparing it to the politics of the "left" in most other first world countries. In my opinion, candidates who arent willing to support guaranteed family leave, single payer healthcare, and more progressive taxes, arent very far left. Of course you could definitely make an argument for that being no true scottsman, so I guess it just depends on opinion.

There's no good argument for this being a no true scotsman.

Being pro-rentier is antithetical to almost every definition of left wing.

It's also not like Democrats who wear a left wing mask try to trumpet their pro-rentier behavior.