4 ms·

Presumably in the "reduction or elimination of deductions and credits" - simplifying the tax code would require those kinds of changes.

gruez 8y ago
>oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates seems reasonable to me. otherwise you could "raise" taxes by eliminating deductions.
SilasX 8y ago
Seriously? That's the basis of saying that the anti-tax pledge prohibits IRS tax prep? The number of deductions and credits is orthogonal to whether the IRS can save you the effort of collecting the information about what they think you owe.
- mikeyouse 8y ago
  Not the basis at all, just one example. Here's another good one that OP added at the end in an edit: > It’s no secret that the IRS and big spenders in Washington, D.C. want to socialize all tax preparation in America. The (ironically-named) IRS Office of Taxpayer Advocate has been pushing for IRS preparation of tax returns for years. There’s only one reason proponents want to do this—tax revenues. If the IRS invites a conflict of interest by adding “tax preparer” to its role as “tax collector,” it’s a near-certainty that everyone’s taxes will rise. In fact, higher tax revenues are a major selling point of mandatory IRS-prepared tax returns. ... > More importantly, it directs the IRS that it “shall not compete with the private sector in providing these services to taxpayers, nor acquire, develop, or deploy enabling systems to duplicate or replace private tax preparation services.” > Never again would taxpayers have to worry about the IRS filling out a Form 1040 for them against their will. These are unserious people that shouldn't be anywhere near the halls of power. https://www.atr.org/taxpayer-advocates-issue-joint-free-file-a7496 https://www.atr.org/taxpayer-advocates-issue-joint-free-file...
  - SilasX 8y ago
    Alright, those would have been better excerpts to cite. The second quote is ridiculous -- it would mean the IRS shouldn't have a public facing free information site at all, that you should have to find someone else to tell you anything whatsoever about paying your taxes at all. The third seems like a deliberate strawman -- all proposals would involve you needing to approve the IRS quote. Unserious, indeed.
  - s73v3r_ 8y ago
    "> Never again would taxpayers have to worry about the IRS filling out a Form 1040 for them against their will." Because this is an actual problem for some people?

gruez 8y ago

>oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates seems reasonable to me. otherwise you could "raise" taxes by eliminating deductions.

SilasX 8y ago

Seriously? That's the basis of saying that the anti-tax pledge prohibits IRS tax prep? The number of deductions and credits is orthogonal to whether the IRS can save you the effort of collecting the information about what they think you owe.

mikeyouse 8y ago
Not the basis at all, just one example. Here's another good one that OP added at the end in an edit: > It’s no secret that the IRS and big spenders in Washington, D.C. want to socialize all tax preparation in America. The (ironically-named) IRS Office of Taxpayer Advocate has been pushing for IRS preparation of tax returns for years. There’s only one reason proponents want to do this—tax revenues. If the IRS invites a conflict of interest by adding “tax preparer” to its role as “tax collector,” it’s a near-certainty that everyone’s taxes will rise. In fact, higher tax revenues are a major selling point of mandatory IRS-prepared tax returns. ... > More importantly, it directs the IRS that it “shall not compete with the private sector in providing these services to taxpayers, nor acquire, develop, or deploy enabling systems to duplicate or replace private tax preparation services.” > Never again would taxpayers have to worry about the IRS filling out a Form 1040 for them against their will. These are unserious people that shouldn't be anywhere near the halls of power. https://www.atr.org/taxpayer-advocates-issue-joint-free-file-a7496 https://www.atr.org/taxpayer-advocates-issue-joint-free-file...
- SilasX 8y ago
  Alright, those would have been better excerpts to cite. The second quote is ridiculous -- it would mean the IRS shouldn't have a public facing free information site at all, that you should have to find someone else to tell you anything whatsoever about paying your taxes at all. The third seems like a deliberate strawman -- all proposals would involve you needing to approve the IRS quote. Unserious, indeed.
- s73v3r_ 8y ago
  "> Never again would taxpayers have to worry about the IRS filling out a Form 1040 for them against their will." Because this is an actual problem for some people?