4 ms·

You're completely correct, but missing the real 'reason' why they dont 'do your taxes' or at least send you a completed return to sign: immense lobbying power b

by nopzor 10y ago

You're completely correct, but missing the real 'reason' why they dont 'do your taxes' or at least send you a completed return to sign: immense lobbying power by the tax preparation industry. H&R Block and literally thousands of smaller accounting firms would basically be put out of business. Or at least become small shells of what they once were. I personally think that's a pretty terrible reason for the current situation.

toomuchtodo 10y ago
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/intuit-turbotax-fought-free-simple-tax-filing http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/intuit-turbotax-... "This is not some pie-in-the-sky that's never been done before," said William Gale, co-director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "It's doable, feasible, implementable, and at a relatively low cost." So why hasn't it become a reality? Well, for one thing, it doesn't help that it's been opposed for years by the company behind the most popular consumer tax software—Intuit, maker of TurboTax. Conservative tax activist Grover Norquist and an influential computer industry group also have fought return-free filing. Intuit has spent about $11.5 million on federal lobbying in the past five years—more than Apple or Amazon. Although the lobbying spans a range of issues, Intuit's disclosures pointedly note that the company "opposes IRS government tax preparation." The disclosures show that Intuit as recently as 2011 lobbied on two bills, both of which died, that would have allowed many taxpayers to file pre-filled returns for free. The company also lobbied on bills in 2007 and 2011 that would have barred the Treasury Department, which includes the IRS, from initiating return-free filing. Elizabeth Warren sponsors legislation to fix the problem: https://www.warren.senate.gov/taxday/ https://www.warren.senate.gov/taxday/ TL;DR F--- Intuit.

by nopzor 10y ago

toomuchtodo 10y ago

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/intuit-turbotax-fought-free-simple-tax-filing http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/intuit-turbotax-... "This is not some pie-in-the-sky that's never been done before," said William Gale, co-director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "It's doable, feasible, implementable, and at a relatively low cost." So why hasn't it become a reality? Well, for one thing, it doesn't help that it's been opposed for years by the company behind the most popular consumer tax software—Intuit, maker of TurboTax. Conservative tax activist Grover Norquist and an influential computer industry group also have fought return-free filing. Intuit has spent about $11.5 million on federal lobbying in the past five years—more than Apple or Amazon. Although the lobbying spans a range of issues, Intuit's disclosures pointedly note that the company "opposes IRS government tax preparation." The disclosures show that Intuit as recently as 2011 lobbied on two bills, both of which died, that would have allowed many taxpayers to file pre-filled returns for free. The company also lobbied on bills in 2007 and 2011 that would have barred the Treasury Department, which includes the IRS, from initiating return-free filing. Elizabeth Warren sponsors legislation to fix the problem: https://www.warren.senate.gov/taxday/ https://www.warren.senate.gov/taxday/ TL;DR F--- Intuit.