61–70 of 341 posts
Stats about tax declaration from Sweden last year: Via internet: 19,9% Via PIN code: 20,1% Via telephone: 12,5% SMS: 6,6% Smartphone app: 2,3% Total: 60,4% filed electronically The rest sent in papers via the mail. (the old method) Source: http://www.skatteverket.se/download/18.71004e4c133e23bf6db80... Personally I have filed via the internet since 2005 both private and for my company.
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some government programs have excellent customer service as compared to some corporate equivalents I am sure we could find counterexamples here.
Ever been to the DMV?
in a larger area, it's a 'pick a number' and wait drudgery.
ymmv
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The IRS was recruiting for interns at my university recently, who could eventually become full time workers. However, I found that at best I could enter as a GS-9, and those were positions with 5 years of expirience. The best salary I could get from that was $53,000 in NYC. Even the lowest offers my friends were getting were $60k in a low-cost area. If the government was able to fund it's IT operations at market rate…
The government doesn't do anything at market rates. They employ below market rates, and contract external companies above market rates. This is (unfortunately) by design.
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some government programs have excellent customer service as compared to some corporate equivalents I am sure we could find counterexamples here.
Ever been to the DMV?
Stats about tax declaration from Sweden last year: Via internet: 19,9% Via PIN code: 20,1% Via telephone: 12,5% SMS: 6,6% Smartphone app: 2,3% Total: 60,4% filed electronically The rest sent in papers via the mail. (the old method) Source: http://www.skatteverket.se/download/18.71004e4c133e23bf6db80... Personally I have filed via the internet since 2005 both private and for my company.
Recently most things are automatically filed and unchangeable, even down to something like charitable giving -- if you send Amnesty some money every year, they are responsible for telling TAX so you can get a deduction. If there's an error, you have to contact your charity, not TAX.
If you paid too much money in tax, there's one specific account every citizen has, that's used by government to send you money. No checks.
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Ever been to the DMV?
I've been to the DMV to get an ID and it wasn't bad at all. The worst I've seen happen to other people is a long line. What are the big problems people apparently have with the DMV all the time? I'm from NY if that makes a difference.
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So, you're comfortable with just trusting the government to tell you what you owe? I'd prefer to check the math myself.
Login to IRS website, be shown all your data. Is this correct? Yes. No. buttons. Workflow is present to deal with incorrect data. The data is already submitted electronically by employers, brokerage/retirement asset management companies, states, etc. Why should I have to pay a private company (I'm looking at you Intuit) when the IRS should have the ability to provide the same service FOR FREE.
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I think you're missing the point. The IRS has already received your 1099/W2/etc and thus it knows (a) your income, and (b) how much in taxes you've already paid. By then having the IRS start your tax return for you, you would no longer have to fill in that info. The IRS makes free forms available already. Besides, are there actually people so stupid that they would give their SSN/info to a site like that?
I think many of us here don't get paid by W2 or by 1099. We are compensated in different ways which don't require those types of filings (e.g. K1), in which case we do need to fill out forms.
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The IRS computer systems are stuck in the 80s. You can get them to send you a copy of the information they have; it will be ready around August. I'm not exaggerating; I've done this a couple times because I'm terrible at keeping track of the paperwork otherwise. (Protip: you can file an extension until October with no penalty.)
> Protip: you can file an extension until October with no penalty. Caveat: This is true ONLY if you are due a refund. If you owe tax you will be charged interest (and possibly penalties) for paying after the deadline[1]. http://www.irs.gov/uac/Extensions-and-Payment-Options
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The government doesn't do anything at market rates. They employ below market rates, and contract external companies above market rates. This is (unfortunately) by design.
Why do you say "by design"? Whose design?