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$240,000 is really inexpensive in the end. Makes you wonder why most Companies aren’t; If not already are doing the same.
by rootsudo 2y ago
$240,000 is really inexpensive in the end. Makes you wonder why most
Companies aren’t; If not already are doing the same.
- hrldcpr 2y agoThe article does also mention other bribes they've given recently, including $1 million to Trump
- Jtsummers 2y agoThat's just 2025 Q1 lobbying money. They've been at this for quite a while and spent a lot more than just $240k. They just finally got an administration in office that's openly willing to make the government less efficient and less cost effective.
- cortesoft 2y agoThat’s what I was thinking… I would expect the lobbying to be way more of their budget, since their entire business model depends on keeping the status quo.
- astrange 2y agoBecause that's not why it happened. There's just an assumption in American politics that whenever anything bad happens it's because of "corporations" and not ideology. Republicans are against easy tax filing because Grover Norquist makes them all sign pledges against it, not because of lobbying.
- dragonwriter 2y agoCorporations and ideology are not orthogonal concerns. The Republican small government ideology is about moving power out of democratically-accountable public institutions into accountable-only-to-their-owners private ones.
- gjsman-1000 2y agoNo; the Republicans argue that it is not in the IRS’s interest to do a good job, or offer the best tax strategies with their own tools. (Additionally, should the IRS tool contain a bug, does the IRS have the right to collect against their own mistake?) This is a particular sore spot, as Republicans have still not forgiven the IRS in 2013 for admitting deliberately harassing conservative nonprofits without cause. Call it a stupid argument, but at least it’s not a strawman like the above comment.
- paulryanrogers 2y agoDefine "best strategies". Best for whom? The rich to further snowball their wealth at the expense of those they bowl over?
- gjsman-1000 2y agoWell, to quote the Appellate Court Justice Learned Hand from the 1930s (at the time, he was often called the “10th Supreme Court justice”): “Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.” Gregory v. Helvering (2d Cir. 1934)
- cratermoon 2y ago> Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right 'The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.' ― Anatole France
- SpicyLemonZest 2y agoI don't understand what this quote has to do with the comment you're responding to, other than both containing the words "rich and poor alike". Care to elaborate?
- chongli 2y agoPrivate businesses are accountable to their customers, not only their shareholders. A business that loses all of its customers ceases to operate. A business that loses 10% of its customers will be held accountable by its shareholders. Government is far less accountable than that. Government can have the disapproval of over half the population and continue to operate.
- jasonjayr 2y agoIf this is to be true, then there needs to be stronger protections against collusion and monopolies, otherwise things will end up in a very bad place. How do you escape a private business that is (a) big enough to buy up all the competitors, (b) uses IP law to prevent competition, (c) gives it's customers worse service and high prices?
- IG_Semmelweiss 2y agotheres antitrust for that . unfortunately, founders never envisioned a congress of career politicians, who would shy away from their duty to actually draft complete laws and enforce them , because politicians want to be friends with everyone. Lack of term limits, lack of randomness, lack of income caps in government (and post government!), have eroded a sense of duty in our congressional leaders , and have gotten us a congress that is solely in it for its enrichment at the expense of the voters
- chongli 2y agoAntitrust is a bandaid fix and a last resort. By far the majority of monopolies are created by government regulation in the first place.
- IG_Semmelweiss 2y agoI dont disagree at all. BUT parent was asking for a government solution to the problem of monopolies. I was merely pointing out that government solution already exists. And as you rightly point out, persistent monopolies are a government-created problem.
- krupan 2y agoI had to google this name and I found that he "makes" them sign a pledge to not raise taxes and to simplify tax laws, not to a pledge to oppose easier tax filing.
- astrange 2y agoThey're specifically against automatic tax calculation because they think making everyone do the work themselves encourages keeping it simple.
- lolinder 2y agoI've seen this cited on HN a bunch but haven't seen anyone link to a source and nor have I found one. Is there a source for this claim, or is it just inference from their behavior?
- SilasX 2y agoWell, there are two things going on here. Norquist does oppose efforts by the IRS to (partially) obviate TurboTax by having the IRS do your taxes [1]. Separately, he has the anti-tax pledge you mention. The former is not entailed by the latter, at least in any obvious way. So the parent is right about Norquist opposing filing simplification, but wrong about it being related to the infamous pledge. [1] For those asking for a citation, here's a recent tweet: https://x.com/GroverNorquist/status/1912592196894630291 https://x.com/GroverNorquist/status/1912592196894630291
- alephnerd 2y agoMost companies do lobby - they just prefer donating to industry coalitions, because it helps reduce the chances of negative press one way or the other. That said, ime the RoI isn't that hot for the amount of time and effort spent, as relationships do matter more than money as some point political donations have diminishing returns.
- tmshapland 2y agoyes, so true! Even if they've been spending around that much every year, it's still an amazingly good ROI for Intuit to pay off lawmakers.
- deadpeople12e 2y ago[dead]