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Isn't there a law in the US prohibiting public institutions from competing with private businesses? This may provide a cause for not rolling it out, but rather

Isn't there a law in the US prohibiting public institutions from competing with private businesses? This may provide a cause for not rolling it out, but rather handing it over to private enterprises for implementation. Edit: I recall the US having to withdraw from the Human Genome Project because of this as soon as a private enterprise claimed it as a field of business.

ashelmire 8y ago
No, that’s not true. I’m unaware of such a law and could point to many counter examples. The human genome project was declared “complete”.
- masswerk 8y ago
  Actually, the HGP was on the verge of being scrapped, but then the U.K. came to the rescue with a major investment to make up for the US. If I recall this right, the US enterprise (Celera) wanted to take an algorithmic shortcut in mapping and verifications, by this overtaking the HGP regarding final results in order to provide the data as a paid service. This happened 7 years before the scheduled finalization of the HGP. Eventually, they finished in a tie. (However, this has been some years ago now and I'm not a US citizen.)
Keverw 8y ago
I've heard of that too, but I believe that only comes to tax software. In some other countries they mail you a postcard with how much taxes you owe, but if you have deductions they didn't know about you have to correct it... They wanted to a similar system here but the major companies like Intuit and H&R Block lobbied agaisnt it... Adam's Ruins everything talked about this https://youtu.be/Fj4anUL-LvY https://youtu.be/Fj4anUL-LvY
- Rebelgecko 8y ago
  California has their own tax software you can use online, although it doesn't cover as many use cases as TurboTax.
piker 8y ago
Yes, kind of. US Tax-Exempt entities directly engaged in "unrelated business activites" can be subject to "unrelated business income tax" or UBIT at the federal level. But that's unlikely to deter an agency of the federal government which would not be subject to UBIT.

ashelmire 8y ago

No, that’s not true. I’m unaware of such a law and could point to many counter examples. The human genome project was declared “complete”.

masswerk 8y ago
Actually, the HGP was on the verge of being scrapped, but then the U.K. came to the rescue with a major investment to make up for the US. If I recall this right, the US enterprise (Celera) wanted to take an algorithmic shortcut in mapping and verifications, by this overtaking the HGP regarding final results in order to provide the data as a paid service. This happened 7 years before the scheduled finalization of the HGP. Eventually, they finished in a tie. (However, this has been some years ago now and I'm not a US citizen.)

Keverw 8y ago

I've heard of that too, but I believe that only comes to tax software. In some other countries they mail you a postcard with how much taxes you owe, but if you have deductions they didn't know about you have to correct it... They wanted to a similar system here but the major companies like Intuit and H&R Block lobbied agaisnt it... Adam's Ruins everything talked about this https://youtu.be/Fj4anUL-LvY https://youtu.be/Fj4anUL-LvY

Rebelgecko 8y ago
California has their own tax software you can use online, although it doesn't cover as many use cases as TurboTax.

piker 8y ago

Yes, kind of. US Tax-Exempt entities directly engaged in "unrelated business activites" can be subject to "unrelated business income tax" or UBIT at the federal level. But that's unlikely to deter an agency of the federal government which would not be subject to UBIT.