4 ms·

Looking at the quoted post, what do they have against Direct File? It is really hard to keep track of their positions which I believe is intentional.

neuronexmachina 2y ago
Many in the GOP are generally opposed to federally-funded free tax return filing: https://pennsylvaniaindependent.com/politics/irs-direct-file-republicans-free-income-tax-filing-mike-kelly-abolish-donald-trump-campaign-finance/ https://pennsylvaniaindependent.com/politics/irs-direct-file... > In December, however, Kelly and 28 House Republican colleagues wrote to President-elect Donald Trump to ask him to end the program: “We write to urge you to take immediate action, including but not limited to a day-one executive order, to end the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) unauthorized and wasteful Direct File pilot program. The program’s creation and ongoing expansion pose a threat to taxpayers’ freedom from government overreach, and its rollout and structural flaws have already come at a steep price.”
- rounce 2y ago
  All the dramatic language they use to dress up their claims is completely ridiculous.
  - shigawire 2y ago
    The argument (if you take it in the most charitable light) is that reducing barriers to paying taxes will make people less averse to paying taxes. So they fight any effort to bring sanity to the tax code or tax payment process. So even taken charitably I think they are wrong. But I do believe it is simply just corrupt and malicious.
    - hnbad 2y ago
      You'd think the threat of having your bank accounts frozen and armed law enforcement officers showing up at your door were the most significant factors in making people "less averse" to paying taxes. I doubt reducing the barriers to filing your taxes correctly makes anyone happier about having to pay taxes either.
  - UltraSane 2y ago
    You should see the crazy shit they say about the IRS hiring 80,000 more employees that they desperately need.
- ahartmetz 2y ago
  What the actual fuck. Simplifying government paperwork = government overreach. Got it.
kelnos 2y ago
Direct File competes with Intuit and other tax prep companies. Of course they're against it; DF threatens corporate profits.
- _factor 2y ago
  Isn’t it wonderful when they make rules stating you must pay taxes, then they make it so convoluted and obscure that you’re forced to spend extra money to file them? It seems almost like corruption.
  - seangrogg 2y ago
    DirectFile makes it such that anyone with a simple tax situation (some W-2s, some dependents, etc) can easily file their federal taxes online. Free. Straight to the IRS. My only gripe with DirectFile is that it doesn't yet cover more complex cases (but let's not have perfect be the enemy of good; it's probably good enough for 75% of citizens) and you still have to find a way to do state filings based on your state.
    - timidiceball 2y ago
      Well by next year it won't be available for anyone so no one will be dissatisfied with what it can and can't do!
  - insane_dreamer 2y ago
    True, except for the “almost”
  - crooked-v 2y ago
    It's an intentional position by the Republicans to condition Americans into reflexively supporting tax cuts. https://archive.ph/mQ0cu https://archive.ph/mQ0cu
  - soulofmischief 2y ago
    This fuckery will continue unabated for the rest of our lives until we collectively stop paying income taxes with the demand that a Constitutional amendment is put in place to force the government to be honest and helpful both around the procurement (just sending a dang bill) and government spending (expressly forbidding genocides, foreign coups, certain bailouts, etc) with real teeth in it. Of course, right now it seems even the existing amendments are not safe. Our government is a non-functioning, dishonest imperial oligarchy, and we just keep paying our tithing out of fear, telling ourselves it's all going to schools and highways.
BryantD 2y ago
It's referred to as Elizabeth Warren's Direct File project.
UltraSane 2y ago
They oppose anything that reduces private companies revenue. Direct file reduces Intuits TurboTax revenue.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
hackyhacky 2y ago
> It is really hard to keep track of their positions which I believe is intentional. The reasons are unimportant. The important thing is that you trust Uncle Don and Uncle Elon, our grand leaders, who always have your best interests at heart.
buu700 2y ago
Related: https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/doge-could-create-mobile-app-tax-filing-report https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/doge-could-create-mobil...

neuronexmachina 2y ago

Many in the GOP are generally opposed to federally-funded free tax return filing: https://pennsylvaniaindependent.com/politics/irs-direct-file-republicans-free-income-tax-filing-mike-kelly-abolish-donald-trump-campaign-finance/ https://pennsylvaniaindependent.com/politics/irs-direct-file... > In December, however, Kelly and 28 House Republican colleagues wrote to President-elect Donald Trump to ask him to end the program: “We write to urge you to take immediate action, including but not limited to a day-one executive order, to end the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) unauthorized and wasteful Direct File pilot program. The program’s creation and ongoing expansion pose a threat to taxpayers’ freedom from government overreach, and its rollout and structural flaws have already come at a steep price.”

rounce 2y ago
All the dramatic language they use to dress up their claims is completely ridiculous.
- shigawire 2y ago
  The argument (if you take it in the most charitable light) is that reducing barriers to paying taxes will make people less averse to paying taxes. So they fight any effort to bring sanity to the tax code or tax payment process. So even taken charitably I think they are wrong. But I do believe it is simply just corrupt and malicious.
  - hnbad 2y ago
    You'd think the threat of having your bank accounts frozen and armed law enforcement officers showing up at your door were the most significant factors in making people "less averse" to paying taxes. I doubt reducing the barriers to filing your taxes correctly makes anyone happier about having to pay taxes either.
- UltraSane 2y ago
  You should see the crazy shit they say about the IRS hiring 80,000 more employees that they desperately need.
ahartmetz 2y ago
What the actual fuck. Simplifying government paperwork = government overreach. Got it.

kelnos 2y ago

Direct File competes with Intuit and other tax prep companies. Of course they're against it; DF threatens corporate profits.

_factor 2y ago
Isn’t it wonderful when they make rules stating you must pay taxes, then they make it so convoluted and obscure that you’re forced to spend extra money to file them? It seems almost like corruption.
- seangrogg 2y ago
  DirectFile makes it such that anyone with a simple tax situation (some W-2s, some dependents, etc) can easily file their federal taxes online. Free. Straight to the IRS. My only gripe with DirectFile is that it doesn't yet cover more complex cases (but let's not have perfect be the enemy of good; it's probably good enough for 75% of citizens) and you still have to find a way to do state filings based on your state.
  - timidiceball 2y ago
    Well by next year it won't be available for anyone so no one will be dissatisfied with what it can and can't do!
- insane_dreamer 2y ago
  True, except for the “almost”
- crooked-v 2y ago
  It's an intentional position by the Republicans to condition Americans into reflexively supporting tax cuts. https://archive.ph/mQ0cu https://archive.ph/mQ0cu
- soulofmischief 2y ago
  This fuckery will continue unabated for the rest of our lives until we collectively stop paying income taxes with the demand that a Constitutional amendment is put in place to force the government to be honest and helpful both around the procurement (just sending a dang bill) and government spending (expressly forbidding genocides, foreign coups, certain bailouts, etc) with real teeth in it. Of course, right now it seems even the existing amendments are not safe. Our government is a non-functioning, dishonest imperial oligarchy, and we just keep paying our tithing out of fear, telling ourselves it's all going to schools and highways.

BryantD 2y ago

It's referred to as Elizabeth Warren's Direct File project.

UltraSane 2y ago

They oppose anything that reduces private companies revenue. Direct file reduces Intuits TurboTax revenue.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

hackyhacky 2y ago

> It is really hard to keep track of their positions which I believe is intentional. The reasons are unimportant. The important thing is that you trust Uncle Don and Uncle Elon, our grand leaders, who always have your best interests at heart.

buu700 2y ago

Related: https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/doge-could-create-mobile-app-tax-filing-report https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/doge-could-create-mobil...