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The UK has had online tax returns since 2001. It always amazes me how many things in the US still use paper.

PopAlongKid 3y ago
The article is primarily about processing documents other than actual income tax returns. Does the U.K. have a completely digital (paperless) way of communicating with taxpayers and resolving issues after the tax return is filed? The U.S. has had "online tax returns" (e-file) since the 1990s. Paid tax preparers are mandated to efile, it is only the minority of DIY taxpayers who insist on paper filing their income tax returns.
- callalex 3y ago
  >it is only the minority of DIY taxpayers who insist on paper filing their income tax returns This is a gross misrepresentation of the situation. Being forced to chop down and bleach trees if you don’t want to pay a bribe to a rent seeking company that lobbies directly against your interests is not “insisting on paper filing” at all.
  - PopAlongKid 3y ago
    So you are claiming that not wanting to do one thing means you are forced to do some other thing? It is a choice, nothing is "forced". More importantly, you don't have to "pay a bribe to a rent-seeking company" (talk about gross misrepresentation!), the IRS offers free online filing to everyone (and I'm not talking about the "Free file alliance" with tax software vendors, but a direct service from the IRS). https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-form...
    - callalex 3y ago
      The whole point of this discussion introduced by the article linked at the top of the page is that electronic communication is only available to the general public for initial filing.
    - buzer 3y ago
      > the IRS offers free online filing to everyone Not to dual-status individuals for example. Those individuals must mail/fax their return to IRS.
      - PopAlongKid 3y ago
        You are correct. For the tiny fraction of taxpayers who experience this once or twice in a lifetime event (dual status), they must paper file their split-year returns. I am sure there are some other extremely uncommon forms that are not supported as well.
    - khuey 3y ago
      Free Fillable Forms is run by "On-Line Taxes, Inc", not the IRS. It's not a direct service.
      - PopAlongKid 3y ago
        Thank you for the detail. It must be a sub-contractor to the IRS. The front page of the Free File Fillable Forms User Guide, however, is 100% branded as an IRS service, the online help is through the IRS web site[0], and the service is normally accessed initiallhy via the IRS web site, so you would only know about On-Line Taxes Inc. if you spent time reading, for example, the terms of service. For practical purposes, the taxpayer will see this as an IRS service, not a 3rd party. This is opposed to the Free File Alliance, where the taxpayer is only given a list of participating vendors and then is on their own. [0]https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms-help https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-form...
  - patmorgan23 3y ago
    FreeTaxUSA let's you file federal taxes completely for free. (They have paid add-ons and services of course. But the service is Actually free, unlike TurboTax 'free edition')
khuey 3y ago
Electronic filing of tax returns has been available for over 30 years. This is about everything else.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

The article is primarily about processing documents other than actual income tax returns. Does the U.K. have a completely digital (paperless) way of communicating with taxpayers and resolving issues after the tax return is filed? The U.S. has had "online tax returns" (e-file) since the 1990s. Paid tax preparers are mandated to efile, it is only the minority of DIY taxpayers who insist on paper filing their income tax returns.

callalex 3y ago
>it is only the minority of DIY taxpayers who insist on paper filing their income tax returns This is a gross misrepresentation of the situation. Being forced to chop down and bleach trees if you don’t want to pay a bribe to a rent seeking company that lobbies directly against your interests is not “insisting on paper filing” at all.
- PopAlongKid 3y ago
  So you are claiming that not wanting to do one thing means you are forced to do some other thing? It is a choice, nothing is "forced". More importantly, you don't have to "pay a bribe to a rent-seeking company" (talk about gross misrepresentation!), the IRS offers free online filing to everyone (and I'm not talking about the "Free file alliance" with tax software vendors, but a direct service from the IRS). https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-form...
  - callalex 3y ago
    The whole point of this discussion introduced by the article linked at the top of the page is that electronic communication is only available to the general public for initial filing.
  - buzer 3y ago
    > the IRS offers free online filing to everyone Not to dual-status individuals for example. Those individuals must mail/fax their return to IRS.
    - PopAlongKid 3y ago
      You are correct. For the tiny fraction of taxpayers who experience this once or twice in a lifetime event (dual status), they must paper file their split-year returns. I am sure there are some other extremely uncommon forms that are not supported as well.
  - khuey 3y ago
    Free Fillable Forms is run by "On-Line Taxes, Inc", not the IRS. It's not a direct service.
    - PopAlongKid 3y ago
      Thank you for the detail. It must be a sub-contractor to the IRS. The front page of the Free File Fillable Forms User Guide, however, is 100% branded as an IRS service, the online help is through the IRS web site[0], and the service is normally accessed initiallhy via the IRS web site, so you would only know about On-Line Taxes Inc. if you spent time reading, for example, the terms of service. For practical purposes, the taxpayer will see this as an IRS service, not a 3rd party. This is opposed to the Free File Alliance, where the taxpayer is only given a list of participating vendors and then is on their own. [0]https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms-help https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-form...
- patmorgan23 3y ago
  FreeTaxUSA let's you file federal taxes completely for free. (They have paid add-ons and services of course. But the service is Actually free, unlike TurboTax 'free edition')

khuey 3y ago

Electronic filing of tax returns has been available for over 30 years. This is about everything else.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]