3 ms·

Boeing didn't create the Air Force, either. Comcast didn't invent TV, cable TV, or the Internet. MADD didn't invent cars, alcohol, or DUIs. The DEA didn't inven

by cestith 10y ago

Boeing didn't create the Air Force, either. Comcast didn't invent TV, cable TV, or the Internet. MADD didn't invent cars, alcohol, or DUIs. The DEA didn't invent drugs. Ruger didn't invent firearms. GM didn't invent the automobile. The UAW didn't invent factories or employment agreements. I fail to see what being interested in the state of continued being of something has to do with having been the inventor.

ams6110 10y ago
The point is that they are a symptom. The problem is the government and their inability to keep anything simple. And in reference to the original topic, taxes for people with one W2 and no other income are not complicated. You can complete a 1040EZ on paper in 5 or 10 minutes.
- ghouse 10y ago
  They were created to treat a symptom, not address the cause. Now that a viable way to eliminate the cause exists, they advocate the keep the root problem.
- cestith 10y ago
  The 1040EZ doesn't allow one to deduct home mortgage interest. You need a 1098 and a Schedule A and the long-form 1040. That has nothing to do with whether you're filing from a single W2 or multiple 1099 forms. IIRC you can't deduct relocation expenses, wardrobe for work, books and training materials, or a whole bunch of other stuff on a 1040 EZ. So sure, as long as you want to overpay your taxes you can file in about 45 seconds.
  - ams6110 10y ago
    The original article was talking about simple tax returns. In fact, the 1040EZ is relatively new. Much newer than the existence of H&R Block. So evidently their efforts to keep taxes complicated aren't entirely successful. Even a 1040 "long form" (2 pages) with itemized deductions for mortgage interest isn't that complicated. I file about a 10 page return, 1040 with schedule A, schedule C, self-employment and various others and I always do it myself on paper. If you are at the point where you think you need TurboTax, you're probably better off just hiring a local CPA firm to do your taxes.
    - Thrymr 10y ago
      Of course, you also need to pay one of the tax prep companies just to file your return online (if you're above an income threshold), because you can't do that directly as an individual, either. Also due to their lobbying.
      - projektfu 10y ago
        For free e-filing for anyone who can fill out the form themselves: https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/ https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/ For free worksheets to do the calculations, http://www.excel1040.com/ http://www.excel1040.com/ Filing the state return electronically is different by state, but often either doable or you can mail it in.
  - llsf 10y ago
    In Europe, I have a pre-filled tax report. Of course, it includes only my employee's income and all the banks interest & dividends and deductions they can automatically get (wrt known family situation, loan interest, etc.). For the rest, it is still up to me to declare additional incomes (e.g. rental properties) or deductions (e.g. donations). It does simplify though the process, especially for "W-2" employees.
- PhasmaFelis 10y ago
  They're a symptom that has just successfully lobbied to keep the disease going. At this point it's reasonable to say that they're actively helping to cause it.
- laughfactory 10y ago
  They WERE a symptom, but now they actively work to protect their existence via lobbying against any simplifications and common sense changes to tax code. So I don't personally have any issue with how and why they came to exist in the first place, but I find it despicable that they actively work against larger society now. It's well-known that they lobby against simplification efforts, and why they do this.

by cestith 10y ago

ams6110 10y ago

The point is that they are a symptom. The problem is the government and their inability to keep anything simple. And in reference to the original topic, taxes for people with one W2 and no other income are not complicated. You can complete a 1040EZ on paper in 5 or 10 minutes.

ghouse 10y ago
They were created to treat a symptom, not address the cause. Now that a viable way to eliminate the cause exists, they advocate the keep the root problem.
cestith 10y ago
The 1040EZ doesn't allow one to deduct home mortgage interest. You need a 1098 and a Schedule A and the long-form 1040. That has nothing to do with whether you're filing from a single W2 or multiple 1099 forms. IIRC you can't deduct relocation expenses, wardrobe for work, books and training materials, or a whole bunch of other stuff on a 1040 EZ. So sure, as long as you want to overpay your taxes you can file in about 45 seconds.
- ams6110 10y ago
  The original article was talking about simple tax returns. In fact, the 1040EZ is relatively new. Much newer than the existence of H&R Block. So evidently their efforts to keep taxes complicated aren't entirely successful. Even a 1040 "long form" (2 pages) with itemized deductions for mortgage interest isn't that complicated. I file about a 10 page return, 1040 with schedule A, schedule C, self-employment and various others and I always do it myself on paper. If you are at the point where you think you need TurboTax, you're probably better off just hiring a local CPA firm to do your taxes.
  - Thrymr 10y ago
    Of course, you also need to pay one of the tax prep companies just to file your return online (if you're above an income threshold), because you can't do that directly as an individual, either. Also due to their lobbying.
    - projektfu 10y ago
      For free e-filing for anyone who can fill out the form themselves: https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/ https://www.freefilefillableforms.com/ For free worksheets to do the calculations, http://www.excel1040.com/ http://www.excel1040.com/ Filing the state return electronically is different by state, but often either doable or you can mail it in.
- llsf 10y ago
  In Europe, I have a pre-filled tax report. Of course, it includes only my employee's income and all the banks interest & dividends and deductions they can automatically get (wrt known family situation, loan interest, etc.). For the rest, it is still up to me to declare additional incomes (e.g. rental properties) or deductions (e.g. donations). It does simplify though the process, especially for "W-2" employees.
PhasmaFelis 10y ago
They're a symptom that has just successfully lobbied to keep the disease going. At this point it's reasonable to say that they're actively helping to cause it.
laughfactory 10y ago
They WERE a symptom, but now they actively work to protect their existence via lobbying against any simplifications and common sense changes to tax code. So I don't personally have any issue with how and why they came to exist in the first place, but I find it despicable that they actively work against larger society now. It's well-known that they lobby against simplification efforts, and why they do this.