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Over the weekend I helped someone file taxes using http://directfile.irs.gov/ http://directfile.irs.gov/ It is very impressive in terms of usability and design

Over the weekend I helped someone file taxes using http://directfile.irs.gov/ http://directfile.irs.gov/ It is very impressive in terms of usability and design. Musk “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as Direct File.

ferguess_k 1y ago
I have a feeling that the current government wants to transfer as much power as possible from the government agencies to private companies.
- breadwinner 1y ago
  Intuit spends millions lobbying against simplifying the tax code and against government filing free tax services... while raising the price of their software. https://www.propublica.org/article/filing-taxes-could-be-free-simple-hr-block-intuit-lobbying-against-it https://www.propublica.org/article/filing-taxes-could-be-fre...
  - leotravis10 1y ago
    Not surprised that Intuit lobbied hard to kill Direct File as well: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43724267 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43724267
- beanjuiceII 1y ago
  the team behind that stuff was private company consultants...
  - ferguess_k 1y ago
    Did you mean the Direct File one?
    - beanjuiceII 1y ago
      yes
      - ferguess_k 1y ago
        Oh I see, looks like a complicated scheme than I thought...thanks!
  - breadwinner 1y ago
    No it was the team known as 18F that Elon Musk "deleted". https://apnews.com/article/irs-direct-file-musk-18f-6a4dc35a92f9f29c310721af53f58b16 https://apnews.com/article/irs-direct-file-musk-18f-6a4dc35a... Excerpt: Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk posted Monday on his social media site that he had “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the IRS’ Direct File program.
    - beanjuiceII 1y ago
      it was a govt agency full of contracting companies/workers... I've worked with them for quite some time directly in fact for many years, so excuse me when i don't believe you when you say 'no'. Just because its a govt agency doesn't mean they are govt employees
      - scroot 1y ago
        18F was entirely federal employees.
- yongjik 1y ago
  I think the current regime just hates the idea of the US government and wants to destroy it as thoroughly as possible. If that results in transfer of power to private businesses or foreign countries, that's just a fun side effect for them.
  - mullingitover 1y ago
    They violently oppose pretty much everything laid out in the preamble to the Constitution. “Justice? Tranquility? Welfare? All this, and a union? Absolutely not!”
- legitster 1y ago
  This seems like too needlessly complex of an explanation. This administration doesn't even seem like it cares about private companies. The only consistent theme of this administration is it simply doesn't like nice things. It is looking for new and interesting ways to be cruel. And that's explanation enough for its motivations.
- JohnFen 1y ago
  It's cartoonishly easy to figure out what they want to destroy and what they want to keep. If it's something that benefits ordinary people, they want it dead and buried. If it's something that benefits large corporations or the very wealthy, they want it to thrive.

ferguess_k 1y ago

I have a feeling that the current government wants to transfer as much power as possible from the government agencies to private companies.

breadwinner 1y ago
Intuit spends millions lobbying against simplifying the tax code and against government filing free tax services... while raising the price of their software. https://www.propublica.org/article/filing-taxes-could-be-free-simple-hr-block-intuit-lobbying-against-it https://www.propublica.org/article/filing-taxes-could-be-fre...
- leotravis10 1y ago
  Not surprised that Intuit lobbied hard to kill Direct File as well: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43724267 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43724267
beanjuiceII 1y ago
the team behind that stuff was private company consultants...
- ferguess_k 1y ago
  Did you mean the Direct File one?
  - beanjuiceII 1y ago
    yes
    - ferguess_k 1y ago
      Oh I see, looks like a complicated scheme than I thought...thanks!
- breadwinner 1y ago
  No it was the team known as 18F that Elon Musk "deleted". https://apnews.com/article/irs-direct-file-musk-18f-6a4dc35a92f9f29c310721af53f58b16 https://apnews.com/article/irs-direct-file-musk-18f-6a4dc35a... Excerpt: Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk posted Monday on his social media site that he had “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the IRS’ Direct File program.
  - beanjuiceII 1y ago
    it was a govt agency full of contracting companies/workers... I've worked with them for quite some time directly in fact for many years, so excuse me when i don't believe you when you say 'no'. Just because its a govt agency doesn't mean they are govt employees
    - scroot 1y ago
      18F was entirely federal employees.
yongjik 1y ago
I think the current regime just hates the idea of the US government and wants to destroy it as thoroughly as possible. If that results in transfer of power to private businesses or foreign countries, that's just a fun side effect for them.
- mullingitover 1y ago
  They violently oppose pretty much everything laid out in the preamble to the Constitution. “Justice? Tranquility? Welfare? All this, and a union? Absolutely not!”
legitster 1y ago
This seems like too needlessly complex of an explanation. This administration doesn't even seem like it cares about private companies. The only consistent theme of this administration is it simply doesn't like nice things. It is looking for new and interesting ways to be cruel. And that's explanation enough for its motivations.
JohnFen 1y ago
It's cartoonishly easy to figure out what they want to destroy and what they want to keep. If it's something that benefits ordinary people, they want it dead and buried. If it's something that benefits large corporations or the very wealthy, they want it to thrive.