After using TT and HRBlock for years, this year I used CashApp Taxes which is completely free and handles almost all cases (except if you earn income abroad and a few other edge cases). Surprisingly nice UI that walked me through all the questions with links to IRS site with form. Wasn’t expecting it to be so good. (And I have more complicated than most - rental props, investments, W2 plus self employed, college expenses, married etc. And it’s not trying to upsell anything (no ads, premium ver, annoying gimmicks). Looks like Dorsey decided to spend a bunch of money to make people’s lives easier. I hope it continues.
The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
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Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#22[flagged]
I wonder what makes people think comments like this are constructive or intelligent in any way, shape or form.
Indeed. Even if the IRS was ‘gotten rid of’ you will still need some sort of agency to intake taxes. How does America have a military, or roads, or public education sans taxes?
‘Just get rid of it’ is such a goofy take.
Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#23Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#24After using TT and HRBlock for years, this year I used CashApp Taxes which is completely free and handles almost all cases (except if you earn income abroad and a few other edge cases). Surprisingly nice UI that walked me through all the questions with links to IRS site with form. Wasn’t expecting it to be so good. (And I have more complicated than most - rental props, investments, W2 plus self employed, college expe…
Sounds like your data is the product, then. From https://taxes.cash.app/pages/privacy-policy :
> Service Providers: We may share information with service providers, as permitted by law, in order to have them perform on our behalf activities we are permitted to conduct under this Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service. This includes things like helping us design or operate our Services, process and administer your financial transactions, preventing fraud and complying with state and federal law. These service providers are authorized to use Personal Information only as necessary to provide these services to us.
> With advertising partners who help us run our advertising campaigns, analyze our site, run contests, special offers, or other events or activities, and track metrics on our behalf or in connection with our Services.
> Affiliates: We may share certain information with our affiliated companies, such as Block, Inc., formerly known as Square, Inc. (the "Company") to help us provide our Services and manage your account.
> As Part of a Corporate Change: We may disclose and transfer information we've collected to a third party as part of, or in preparation for, a change of control, restructuring, corporate change, or sale or transfer of assets
The affiliates clause is incredibly broad and would let them sell your tax returns to anyone, as long as it helps them provide the service. If the service isn't profitable without selling your tax returns, then that is all the reason they need.
Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#25Some anecdata, but the freefillable forms interface has a LOT more validation on it this year than it did last year.
Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does the IRS have way to know all of your income?
Your bank, employer, cash app and brokerage all report to the IRS so unless you are a drug dealer or similar, yeah for the most part they already know it. Heres the best bit, people working under the table are going to be making less than 100k generally so it doesn't really matter, anyone making real money will be making big enough waves in the financial system to be detected, small movements of cash doesn't matter a…
Banks don't report every transaction and even if they did it may not be "income". E.g. moving money from one account to another is a transaction but no income was earned and it is not taxable.
Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
State taxes as well. The IRS didn't partner with individual states for this initiative. They also don't have limits on interest income or household income, which make this worthless for people who file high income returns.
Your comments set off my spidey senses; they don't pass the sniff-test for a trustworthy, well-informed, pro-Intuit stance, especially on message board catering to tech. Intuit practices the classic rent-seeking behaviors endemic to late stage capitalism. Who is this helping? They also actively lobby against tax reform because it's an existential threat to their cash cow.
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Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#28The government requires us to pay taxes. It also requires us to file tax returns. It's unconscionable that we have to pay a third-party to fulfill our legally-mandated obligations. It is way past time for tax filing to be made available for free at all levels of government.
(Don't come to me with paper forms or FreeTaxUsa or whatever. FREE IRS software should be able to handle taxes of any complexity and situation. If they can't handle a scenario in their software, they shouldn't be allowed to collect any taxes resulting from the law that created the scenario)
Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#29The IRS should open-source at least the ‘rules’ part of the code, with enough functionality to let people add new forms. I think they’d get a lot of contributions and good QA.
Re: The IRS Has an Answer to TurboTax
#30The IRS should open-source at least the ‘rules’ part of the code, with enough functionality to let people add new forms. I think they’d get a lot of contributions and good QA.
The IRS seems subject to FOIA. I wonder if people could get together and request that.