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I am not really in the camp of blaming either of these companies or any tax filing companies for issues like this. The real blame is Congress for making such a

I am not really in the camp of blaming either of these companies or any tax filing companies for issues like this. The real blame is Congress for making such a complex tax system will all their attempts to keep their offices secure. The tax system used to have meaning but generations of politicians found they could reward and punish with it and they did so with abandon. The system should never had become so complex as to need a program. If your middle class or higher the chances you need more than 1040A/1040EZ put you into the category it just isn't worth the risk to do them without guidance and that is where Congress should be taken to task. Now one good effect of that "Republican" tax change was the standard deduction got pushed so high most people will never need to itemize again. It also increased the progressiveness of the tax system by that and other changes. I guess if we cannot rid ourselves of all those tax laws that make itemization the punish/reward system it is then just raising the standard deduction is best.

JohnFen 8y ago
> I am not really in the camp of blaming either of these companies or any tax filing companies for issues like this. I am. When companies behave like scumbags, I have no problem with calling them scumbags. I agree with you that Congress gets a heaping helping of blame as well, though.
hunter23 8y ago
> The system should never had become so complex as to need a program. Actually there were bills in congress that would have made it so a program wasn't needed because the government would file on your behalf (https://slate.com/business/2019/04/turbotax-bipartisan-tax-filing-bill-win-for-lobbyists-ron-wyden.html https://slate.com/business/2019/04/turbotax-bipartisan-tax-f...). In most cases the government knows enough about you to calculate your taxes for you. Turbotax lobbied the government to kill these bills because it would have destroyed their business model. So the reason you have to use a complicated form or program to file, is entirely Turbotax's fault because they have lobbied the government from making it simpler for users. Of course a bigger root cause is that lobbying is undermining our democracy.
- umvi 8y ago
  > Turbotax lobbied the government to kill these bills because it would have destroyed their business model. “Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.” — Clay Shirky
  - nojvek 7y ago
    Well it’s still Congress’s fault for being scammed by a corporation. In way, US is run by corporations so I think this was by design. This is a country for corporations, run by corporations. What’s written on US passports is a lie.

JohnFen 8y ago

> I am not really in the camp of blaming either of these companies or any tax filing companies for issues like this. I am. When companies behave like scumbags, I have no problem with calling them scumbags. I agree with you that Congress gets a heaping helping of blame as well, though.

hunter23 8y ago

> The system should never had become so complex as to need a program. Actually there were bills in congress that would have made it so a program wasn't needed because the government would file on your behalf (https://slate.com/business/2019/04/turbotax-bipartisan-tax-filing-bill-win-for-lobbyists-ron-wyden.html https://slate.com/business/2019/04/turbotax-bipartisan-tax-f...). In most cases the government knows enough about you to calculate your taxes for you. Turbotax lobbied the government to kill these bills because it would have destroyed their business model. So the reason you have to use a complicated form or program to file, is entirely Turbotax's fault because they have lobbied the government from making it simpler for users. Of course a bigger root cause is that lobbying is undermining our democracy.

umvi 8y ago
> Turbotax lobbied the government to kill these bills because it would have destroyed their business model. “Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.” — Clay Shirky
- nojvek 7y ago
  Well it’s still Congress’s fault for being scammed by a corporation. In way, US is run by corporations so I think this was by design. This is a country for corporations, run by corporations. What’s written on US passports is a lie.