this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2023
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[–] protist@mander.xyz 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The IRS initially announced its plans to launch a test run of the direct tax-filing program in May, after issuing a report on its feasibility in response to a requirement in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Sounds like we can thank Joe Biden for finally making this happen despite decades of Intuit buying our lawmakers so they can keep fucking people over with TurboTax

[–] hahattpro@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] protist@mander.xyz 3 points 1 year ago

If you're able to stay on the lowest tier, I think like $50-60, but if you have any forms not included in that tier, it's more, and they are constantly trying to upsell you. If you accidentally click an upsell, they also won't let you remove it or go back. One year I just had to erase everything and start over to not pay an extra $70 for a service I did not need

[–] penquin@lemm.ee 29 points 1 year ago

Noice. Now, let's how much shit H&R block and TurboTax will throw at it to make it an absolute shit of a service. freetaxusa ftw.

[–] hiddengoat@kbin.social 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Better idea: Just give us our goddamn money back since all we're doing is filing so you can match what we say you owe us with what you say you owe us. Skip the step and just cut a check. FFS.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Seriously. filing always feels like a math test with really scary consequences.

[–] pwnicholson@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

They don't know how many deductable donations you made in the year, major purchases you want to write off the taxes for, other deductions you qualify for, tax credits from home improvements, etc. You'd have to do a simple flat tax system with no deductions or credits for that to work.

[–] hiddengoat@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

Then do the Swedish system. They send you a form with your information, you verify it, and if it's correct you just flippin' text them and they send you your money. If you have other deductions or additions you send them the information.

Whatever the case, the government already knows your regular earnings and for anyone that doesn't take extra deductions there's no reason not to simplify it to that extent.

[–] fnie@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

you forgot about the hundreds of annual changes Congress makes to the tax code that the IRS is tasked with implementing

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago

Omg finally, we have the dumbest f****** tax system

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 8 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to launch a pilot program that would allow taxpayers in 13 states to electronically file their taxes directly with the agency for free during the 2024 tax season.

Four states — Arizona, California, Massachusetts and New York — have agreed to work with the IRS to integrate their state taxes with the program, while taxpayers in nine other states without income tax — Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming — will also be able to take part, the agency said Tuesday.

“This is a critical step forward for this innovative effort that will test the feasibility of providing taxpayers a new option to file their returns for free directly with the IRS,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement.

The pilot program will be limited to taxpayers in the 13 participating states who have “relatively simple returns,” the IRS noted.

The agency said it anticipates that the direct tax-filing program will be able to cover several key sources of income and tax credits, including W-2 wage income, Social Security income, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, standard deductions and student loan interest deductions, among others.

The IRS initially announced its plans to launch a test run of the direct tax-filing program in May, after issuing a report on its feasibility in response to a requirement in the Inflation Reduction Act.


The original article contains 279 words, the summary contains 234 words. Saved 16%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] Coasting0942@reddthat.com 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

To everybody saying the IRS already knows what you make, Americas tax code is probably a little more complicated than that, and the IRS can’t even afford windows 2000. So no, you can’t just do the simple checkbox saying everything looks just about right. And that’s before we get into every state piggybacking off of the IRS form.

I’d say tell your legislator to give more money to the IRS, but “gestures at everything else happening”

[–] TheDarkKnight@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Yes but spending money the IRS literally provides the funds to spend money on "gestures at everything else"

[–] 1chemistdown@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

I’d say tell your legislator to give more money to the IRS, but “gestures at everything else happening”

When republicans yell “starve the beast!” when talking about the USA government, what they really mean is kill the IRS. They will tell you it’s about reducing government spending, that’s a lie! They love overspending so they can reduce taxes for the billionaires

[–] livus@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Welcome to 1998.

[–] hahattpro@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

As a foreigner, I am confused. It said that IRS will launch free online tax-filing ...

Is it imply that online tax-filing not free before ? Is it still cost you to do your own tax duty ?

[–] btaf45@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The tax software is not free. Not sure about the online form submissions.

[–] hahattpro@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

First time I hear that it cost you money to pay tax, aside from the tax itself.

[–] btaf45@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Mailing in your tax return is free.