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How useful is the computation code though? The computations themselves for the cells on a 1040 form are not that complicated and well documented in the instruct
by Thrymr 6y ago
How useful is the computation code though? The computations themselves for the cells on a 1040 form are not that complicated and well documented in the instructions. The hard part is getting all the right numbers into the source boxes.
- ISL 6y agoSomehow, the IRS compares the tax return I submit with what they expected. It is that entire machinery that is in the public interest to be visible and audited by the public.
- bluGill 6y agoYou can't FOIA the data they use for your taxes. They have your W2 data, and it was sent to you, but they won't give it to you.
- ISL 6y agoAgreed, but one ought to be able to FOIA the entire pipeline that handles the data. This is especially so given that the results of the pipeline are used for tax enforcement and litigation.
- tacostakohashi 6y agoReally? You can pretty much always FOIA any records about yourself. In the case of W-2 data, seems like you can get it as part of a transcript if you want it: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them https://www.irs.gov/individuals/transcript-types-and-ways-to... Of course, you also get a copy of the same W-2 directly, but it doesn't seem true that "they won't give it to you" if you ask them.
- nightski 6y agoThe IRS does have income information, but they do not have deduction information. Deductions are mainly where any form of complexity comes in. Without deductions taxes are super easy.