4 ms·

Imagine how badly a Govmnt run system would be though. Tax rules change almost weekly sometimes more for states, this requires fast acting changes to the workfl

Imagine how badly a Govmnt run system would be though. Tax rules change almost weekly sometimes more for states, this requires fast acting changes to the workflow engine, coordniation with IRS etc. I wouldn't want government anywhere near that. Especially when the government can shut down whenever theres a dispute. No thanks

branweb 6y ago
Maybe so but to me it seems achievable. Lot's of other countries have such a system. Why would it be so much harder to achieve here? Also it seems to me we don't have much to lose. Our choices were: pay intuit or give our personal information to creditkarma to do god knows what with. Now we don't even have that.
- sumtechguy 6y ago
  Not only is it achievable. If I get it wrong they send it back. That means there is an automated audit system. That means we are arguing about who gets to own the front end form. There is no incentive for either side to make it simpler because it is all 'code' at this point. With a nice wizard in front of it. The interchange format is the 1040 form. They even have a special 1040 form for computers!
  - bilekas 6y ago
    the 1040 is only the federal..
- Larrikin 6y ago
  Outside of personal protection (financial and physical), one of the two largest political parties in the US actively tries to make government run programs operate as badly as possible so they can get rid of them in favor of private entities and get a tax break.
kgermino 6y ago
> Tax rules change almost weekly sometimes more for states, this requires fast acting changes to the workflow engine, coordniation with IRS etc. But, the tax rules are changed _by the government_. I'm no saying I think the government built program will be the best one out there, but nobody is saying it needs to be the only option - just that the IRS should be allowed to help it's constituents.
- bilekas 6y ago
  > But, the tax rules are changed _by the government_. States are going to have to coordinate with Federal ? Just play that out. What a mess.
  - kgermino 6y ago
    > States are going to have to coordinate with Federal ? No more than they already do. I have to file my state and federal returns separately today (and I don't think that's different for anyone who has to pay state income taxes). It's easier because my state (WI) defers to the federal government for a lot of tax rules, but that's entirely a local decision. If the federal government decided to make it easier to file your federal taxes they could just do it. There's no need to coordinate with the states (and I wouldn't expect them to).
    - bilekas 6y ago
      > I have to file my state and federal returns separately today Right, but you're looking for a one service solution to look after all that, state and fed included, organised by fed. If that is what you're looking for it's already done, just not by the government, HRBlock TurboTax and others, my point is, if it was for the government(FD) to look after, it would be a nightmare, they wouldn't do it as well. It works in other countries because as you're paid you're taxed on your income. That doesn't fly when you have multiple jobs, with each state having their own tax system, I'm not saying its good or bad or even that it CANT be done, I'm just saying I would prefer a company who gets paid to do it, to make sure its done right.
tzs 6y ago
Uhm...even if TurboTax, say, can implement a tax rule change faster than the IRS it would not actually make a difference because the IRS won't be able to process returns with the change until they have it implemented on their end.

branweb 6y ago

Maybe so but to me it seems achievable. Lot's of other countries have such a system. Why would it be so much harder to achieve here? Also it seems to me we don't have much to lose. Our choices were: pay intuit or give our personal information to creditkarma to do god knows what with. Now we don't even have that.

sumtechguy 6y ago
Not only is it achievable. If I get it wrong they send it back. That means there is an automated audit system. That means we are arguing about who gets to own the front end form. There is no incentive for either side to make it simpler because it is all 'code' at this point. With a nice wizard in front of it. The interchange format is the 1040 form. They even have a special 1040 form for computers!
- bilekas 6y ago
  the 1040 is only the federal..
Larrikin 6y ago
Outside of personal protection (financial and physical), one of the two largest political parties in the US actively tries to make government run programs operate as badly as possible so they can get rid of them in favor of private entities and get a tax break.

kgermino 6y ago

> Tax rules change almost weekly sometimes more for states, this requires fast acting changes to the workflow engine, coordniation with IRS etc. But, the tax rules are changed _by the government_. I'm no saying I think the government built program will be the best one out there, but nobody is saying it needs to be the only option - just that the IRS should be allowed to help it's constituents.

bilekas 6y ago
> But, the tax rules are changed _by the government_. States are going to have to coordinate with Federal ? Just play that out. What a mess.
- kgermino 6y ago
  > States are going to have to coordinate with Federal ? No more than they already do. I have to file my state and federal returns separately today (and I don't think that's different for anyone who has to pay state income taxes). It's easier because my state (WI) defers to the federal government for a lot of tax rules, but that's entirely a local decision. If the federal government decided to make it easier to file your federal taxes they could just do it. There's no need to coordinate with the states (and I wouldn't expect them to).
  - bilekas 6y ago
    > I have to file my state and federal returns separately today Right, but you're looking for a one service solution to look after all that, state and fed included, organised by fed. If that is what you're looking for it's already done, just not by the government, HRBlock TurboTax and others, my point is, if it was for the government(FD) to look after, it would be a nightmare, they wouldn't do it as well. It works in other countries because as you're paid you're taxed on your income. That doesn't fly when you have multiple jobs, with each state having their own tax system, I'm not saying its good or bad or even that it CANT be done, I'm just saying I would prefer a company who gets paid to do it, to make sure its done right.

tzs 6y ago

Uhm...even if TurboTax, say, can implement a tax rule change faster than the IRS it would not actually make a difference because the IRS won't be able to process returns with the change until they have it implemented on their end.