161–170 of 495 posts
Anyone interested in helping organize a boycott of filing federal taxes until a direct-file system, that serves everyone, is instituted? I’d like to join, but don’t have the influence to start one on my own.
Anyone interested in helping organize a boycott of filing federal taxes until a direct-file system, that serves everyone, is instituted? I’d like to join, but don’t have the influence to start one on my own.
Amazing how the idea of being able to file tax returns online, without paying for a commercial service to do it, is considered far-left extremism in the US. You’d think that simplifying tax returns and reducing costs in the taxation system would be something the right could get behind?
They claim that if the government could calculate taxes for you, then it would be too easy for the left to add new taxes that you wouldn't notice. The real kicker of course is that if you don't file your taxes, they actually do calculate your taxes for you, and send you a bill. It just includes the non-payment penalty and doesn't include donations.
As a non-American whose country break out the VAT into a separate line item, with the explicit intent to inform consumers how much tax they are paying, and who has shopped in countries where they roll it all into one, I can say that this 'claim' is absolutely what happens in practice.
Is there any meaningful reason that states couldn’t start their own equivalent 18F at the state level? I live in Massachusetts and I know a bunch of socially conscious techies who’d love to help out in this manner. I have no idea if there is need for 18F at the state level, but I could see something like this working OK in MA, CA, and maybe NY.
[1] https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-digital-service [2] https://watech.wa.gov/services [3] https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press/pages/governor-moor...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
no, the right wants you to keep paying Turbotax.
"Musk ally is moving to close office behind free tax filing program at IRS" (2025) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43222216
New York Times wrote [1] a pretty extensive expose on how the government takeover has happened. Basically Musk started infiltrating the government with his agents a couple of years ago so by the time inauguration happened he had access to all the passwords. I am not sure which laws were broken but if they were I hope the administration that comes in 2029 will not overlook these people's contribution. [1] https://arch…
a couple pages that describe the agency and their projects, for those who were not familiar. the agency was created in 2014. https://18f.gsa.gov/our-work/ https://www.govtech.com/civic/what-is-18f.html Key Projects : Beta.FEC.gov: Revamped the Federal Election Commission's website for easier record access. MyUSCIS: Simplified the immigration process for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS ICAM De…
yeah this agency is kinda what I imagined DOGE was created to be. alas now I am just confused
Is there any meaningful reason that states couldn’t start their own equivalent 18F at the state level? I live in Massachusetts and I know a bunch of socially conscious techies who’d love to help out in this manner. I have no idea if there is need for 18F at the state level, but I could see something like this working OK in MA, CA, and maybe NY.
Many states do have something like 18F. Massachusetts has Mass Digital[1], Washington has WaTech[2], Maryland has announced[3] the formation of one. [1] https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-digital-service [2] https://watech.wa.gov/services [3] https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press/pages/governor-moor...