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It gets harder every year to find tax software that isn't owned by intuit... I don't think any of it is free anymore for anything beyond basic returns. The IRS'

It gets harder every year to find tax software that isn't owned by intuit... I don't think any of it is free anymore for anything beyond basic returns. The IRS' paper returns get more complicated every year. It seems Intuit is winning this despite all the complaining.

jonny_eh 5y ago
"Cash App Taxes" is owned by Cash App which is owned by Square/Block Inc. It used to be owned by Credit Karma, which was bought by Intuit, but they (were forced?) to sell it.
- micromacrofoot 5y ago
  Ah, thanks for the info. Last I knew Intuit bought Credit Karma (who I did taxes with previously) and I didn't realize they were spun off again.
  - AviationAtom 5y ago
    Yes, the Justice Department mandated that they jettisoned it as part of the sale, as they knew what Intuit would do with it if they got their paws on it.
briandear 5y ago
But TurboTax does a great job. It’s a good product. Happy to pay for it. Not sure why all of the hate. The problem is the tax system itself, not the software.
- micromacrofoot 5y ago
  Intuit lobbies the government to keep the tax system complicated so they can charge people to use their software. The majority of the civilized world spends almost 0 time doing personal taxes. Intuit steals our time and money.
  - dominotw 5y ago
    > keep the tax system complicated what happened to the original forces that created this mess. I am not convinced that if it wasn't for intuit we would have a simple tax system. > The majority of the civilized world spends almost 0 time doing personal taxes. this isn't actually true.
    - micromacrofoot 5y ago
      > this isn't actually true There are at least 50 countries with less complex taxes than the united states
      - dominotw 5y ago
        ok? What does that have to do with original 'almost 0 time' claim? Also complexity of american tax code didn't come because of turbotax/intuit. Do you really think we have stuff like credits for home improvements, credits for student loan payments ect are in tax code because of intuit? There are politicians right now trying to cram in more and more tax code because those incentives are incredible popular with American public. All this is not because of intuit.
        micromacrofoot 5y ago
        You got me "almost 0" was hyperbolic, I'll be more specific: In multiple countries personal taxes can be completed with little more than a signature, and most are simpler in general... the US ranks near the bottom in terms of complexity. I didn't say that Intuit caused complex taxes, I said they actively lobby to keep them complicated. Intuit spends millions on lobbying every year (against simplification efforts, as well as efforts for the government to create its own free digital tax filing system) and has recently pulled out of a federal free tax filing program, and are being sued by the FTC for their use of "free" in their marketing and performing bait and switch.
        dominotw 5y ago
- _jal 5y ago
  > Not sure why all of the hate. .. I take it you have managed to post this without reading nearly every other comment?
- et-al 5y ago
  > Not sure why all of the hate. You're being facetious, right? They have dark patterns every step of the way to try to get you to pay more and to share your tax information. Their "free" is oftentimes not free. And on top of all this, there are countless articles about them lobbying to maintain the status quo of complicated taxes.
- formerkrogemp 5y ago
  Intuit has been spending billions to lobby for complicated tax filing process and against the government primarily filling out your forms for you based on data they should already have on hand from mandatory reporting. That's why people hate them so much.
- Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
  I'm not normally one to say "Bro, read the room", but... Bro. Read the room. The entire comment section answers the question of "why all of the hate".
avrionov 5y ago
TaxCut is probably the biggest alternative. Owned by HRBlock. Not sure if the they are better.
wtf_is_up 5y ago
I found TaxHawk to be really good when I did my own taxes. Mainly I sought it out because it took in K-1's where TurboTax would need an upgrade.
- TMWNN 5y ago
  I'd been satisfied with TaxHawk in the past, but when my tax situation changed this time around I tested it with the same inputs as TurboTax with upsells costing 10 times more. After getting the same results on both, I gladly used TaxHawk again.

jonny_eh 5y ago

"Cash App Taxes" is owned by Cash App which is owned by Square/Block Inc. It used to be owned by Credit Karma, which was bought by Intuit, but they (were forced?) to sell it.

micromacrofoot 5y ago
Ah, thanks for the info. Last I knew Intuit bought Credit Karma (who I did taxes with previously) and I didn't realize they were spun off again.
- AviationAtom 5y ago
  Yes, the Justice Department mandated that they jettisoned it as part of the sale, as they knew what Intuit would do with it if they got their paws on it.

briandear 5y ago

But TurboTax does a great job. It’s a good product. Happy to pay for it. Not sure why all of the hate. The problem is the tax system itself, not the software.

micromacrofoot 5y ago
Intuit lobbies the government to keep the tax system complicated so they can charge people to use their software. The majority of the civilized world spends almost 0 time doing personal taxes. Intuit steals our time and money.
- dominotw 5y ago
  > keep the tax system complicated what happened to the original forces that created this mess. I am not convinced that if it wasn't for intuit we would have a simple tax system. > The majority of the civilized world spends almost 0 time doing personal taxes. this isn't actually true.
  - micromacrofoot 5y ago
    > this isn't actually true There are at least 50 countries with less complex taxes than the united states
    - dominotw 5y ago
      ok? What does that have to do with original 'almost 0 time' claim? Also complexity of american tax code didn't come because of turbotax/intuit. Do you really think we have stuff like credits for home improvements, credits for student loan payments ect are in tax code because of intuit? There are politicians right now trying to cram in more and more tax code because those incentives are incredible popular with American public. All this is not because of intuit.
      - micromacrofoot 5y ago
        You got me "almost 0" was hyperbolic, I'll be more specific: In multiple countries personal taxes can be completed with little more than a signature, and most are simpler in general... the US ranks near the bottom in terms of complexity. I didn't say that Intuit caused complex taxes, I said they actively lobby to keep them complicated. Intuit spends millions on lobbying every year (against simplification efforts, as well as efforts for the government to create its own free digital tax filing system) and has recently pulled out of a federal free tax filing program, and are being sued by the FTC for their use of "free" in their marketing and performing bait and switch.
        dominotw 5y ago
_jal 5y ago
> Not sure why all of the hate. .. I take it you have managed to post this without reading nearly every other comment?
et-al 5y ago
> Not sure why all of the hate. You're being facetious, right? They have dark patterns every step of the way to try to get you to pay more and to share your tax information. Their "free" is oftentimes not free. And on top of all this, there are countless articles about them lobbying to maintain the status quo of complicated taxes.
formerkrogemp 5y ago
Intuit has been spending billions to lobby for complicated tax filing process and against the government primarily filling out your forms for you based on data they should already have on hand from mandatory reporting. That's why people hate them so much.
Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
I'm not normally one to say "Bro, read the room", but... Bro. Read the room. The entire comment section answers the question of "why all of the hate".

avrionov 5y ago

TaxCut is probably the biggest alternative. Owned by HRBlock. Not sure if the they are better.

wtf_is_up 5y ago

I found TaxHawk to be really good when I did my own taxes. Mainly I sought it out because it took in K-1's where TurboTax would need an upgrade.

TMWNN 5y ago
I'd been satisfied with TaxHawk in the past, but when my tax situation changed this time around I tested it with the same inputs as TurboTax with upsells costing 10 times more. After getting the same results on both, I gladly used TaxHawk again.