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I like how AI generated ads tacitly confirm that advertisement was never about exposure and introducing people to new things. No, it's about automating deceptio

I like how AI generated ads tacitly confirm that advertisement was never about exposure and introducing people to new things. No, it's about automating deception on a grand scale and awarding the people that can most effectively control an audience. Why is TurboTax the best way to file my taxes, anyways?

plagiarist 2y ago
Because of regulatory capture. In essence, TurboTax has been able to purchase legislators who then ensure that tax law is difficult for regular people. This creates a larger market for TurboTax. That's similar (albeit less awful, I admit) to how for-profit prisons are able to purchase legislators to ensure that they are able to fill their cells. There are some countries that have managed to avoid having tax prep software companies purchasing their legislators. In those countries, the best way to file taxes is basically observing the overview and clicking "yes that's accurate" on a government-provided website.
- mminer237 2y ago
  Even with that, TurboTax probably isn't the best. H&R Block or TaxSlayer or FreeTaxUSA can help you with your taxes just the same for less or free.
  - 0xcde4c3db 2y ago
    There's also "Free File Fillable Forms", which is part of the weird compromise that tax return prep companies like Intuit and H&R Block negotiated to prevent individuals being allowed to file directly with the IRS. It's actually operated by one of the companies in the "alliance", but it's set up like a digital version of the IRS forms (up to and including the fact that you need to make your own copies of everything because they delete all accounts/data every year).
- hundchenkatze 2y ago
  Here’s a free alternative. (free for federal; $15 for state returns). https://www.freetaxusa.com/ https://www.freetaxusa.com/ Yes, the name sounds like a scam, but I’ve used it without issue for the past 5 years.
- TZubiri 2y ago
  Software dev thinking that tax code is determined by software lobbyists, is like medieval peasants thinking that thunder is determined by a god that is angry at them.
- swyx 2y ago
  never let turbotax bury this train wreck of a podcast https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24273820/intuit-ceo-sasan-goodarzi-turbotax-irs-quickbooks-ai-software-decoder-interview https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24273820/intuit-ceo-sasa...
nunez 2y ago
I personally use FreeTaxUSA but TurboTax has a really, really nice workflow for simple 1040s, which is most of them. And they improve it every year. Also, the premiums Intuit charges matter not when the customers paying them think it's coming from "free money" anyway.

plagiarist 2y ago

Because of regulatory capture. In essence, TurboTax has been able to purchase legislators who then ensure that tax law is difficult for regular people. This creates a larger market for TurboTax. That's similar (albeit less awful, I admit) to how for-profit prisons are able to purchase legislators to ensure that they are able to fill their cells. There are some countries that have managed to avoid having tax prep software companies purchasing their legislators. In those countries, the best way to file taxes is basically observing the overview and clicking "yes that's accurate" on a government-provided website.

mminer237 2y ago
Even with that, TurboTax probably isn't the best. H&R Block or TaxSlayer or FreeTaxUSA can help you with your taxes just the same for less or free.
- 0xcde4c3db 2y ago
  There's also "Free File Fillable Forms", which is part of the weird compromise that tax return prep companies like Intuit and H&R Block negotiated to prevent individuals being allowed to file directly with the IRS. It's actually operated by one of the companies in the "alliance", but it's set up like a digital version of the IRS forms (up to and including the fact that you need to make your own copies of everything because they delete all accounts/data every year).
hundchenkatze 2y ago
Here’s a free alternative. (free for federal; $15 for state returns). https://www.freetaxusa.com/ https://www.freetaxusa.com/ Yes, the name sounds like a scam, but I’ve used it without issue for the past 5 years.
TZubiri 2y ago
Software dev thinking that tax code is determined by software lobbyists, is like medieval peasants thinking that thunder is determined by a god that is angry at them.
swyx 2y ago
never let turbotax bury this train wreck of a podcast https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24273820/intuit-ceo-sasan-goodarzi-turbotax-irs-quickbooks-ai-software-decoder-interview https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/21/24273820/intuit-ceo-sasa...

nunez 2y ago

I personally use FreeTaxUSA but TurboTax has a really, really nice workflow for simple 1040s, which is most of them. And they improve it every year. Also, the premiums Intuit charges matter not when the customers paying them think it's coming from "free money" anyway.