Theyâve already had a free file system for years?
I have a lot of bias on this topic I will admit as I am in the industry but I am not worried about my job any time soon. The IRS isnât going to be able to produce software that equates to software thatâs been built and maintained and improved upon for years by tax software companies not just Intuit. You can build great software, but that doesnât mean people know how to use it, even a website. You still have to staff people to build it, support it, and improve it. Itâs just going to shift work from private companies to the government. And I suspect the IRS system is not going to handle any returns of any complexity any time soon.
20 dollar ice cream is crazy.
They are mad at the ftc for being the prosecutor and judge in their deceptive advertising lawsuit. F them. They are hard core misleading people.
They have to disclose that the majority of there tax services are not free.
Done with these shady tax companies but intuit is probably the worst with their software.
You may be right, but the optics are extremely good for Dems.
I am convinced that you could build a viable third party based on petty consumer grievances like âwhy are taxes so complicatedâ and âwhy are headlights so bright these daysâ and pretty much crush a national election. Just promise heavy-handed government solutions to annoying everyday shit and youâd get so much buy-in from basic American schlubs.
Some huge % of Americans have an incredibly simple return consisting of W2, standard deduction, child tax credit, and maybe a 1099-INT.
And tons of those people fork over the $45 to Intuit every year for the latest TurboTax or will go to an in person H&R Block to get the refund advance loan or other wastes of money instead of using existing free tools because they donât know about them.
Or are scared to use them
I fork over the money to intuit not because I canât figure out the tools or know about them, its that they automatically input everything and my taxes take less than 5 minutes to do every year. usually its done within a minute.
Apparently there is a free turbo tax available that will allow you to file for free as well up to a certain income, but it is apparently very hard to access, because there are constant links that direct you to the paid version, so you have to read everything very carefully if you want to make sure you get the free version. I think John Oliver or someone similar did a piece on it a while back.
I did TurboTax for years, but switched over to FreeTaxUSA and have zero regrets.
Right. The system needs to be reversedâthe government produces a first draft, âhey this is the info we have, what needs to change?â and if your case is as simple as most peopleâs you just click âlooks goodâ and youâre done
I free filed through H&R Block for 10 years, but last year they bailed on the program and all of the options were very narrow groups of people or looked sketchy. I think the number of companies willing to allow free file is dropping and thatâs why the IRS is developing their own system.
If your income isnât too high, you should try that free turbo tax thing and see if you can get it to work.
Iâll look, but like I said, eligibility is narrowing a lot and the larger players are pulling out.
I could totally see this backfiring. Large numbers of people just check the box without actually reading it like the TOS for an iphone app or something.
Eventually someone roasts the IRS on how theyâre taking advantage of people being busy and ignorant and just clicking OK, when theyâre missing out on all sorts of easy ways to pay even less.