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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 d

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...

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...