4 ms·

> Why can't I log in, see what information employers and banks and whatnot have submitted about my income, add any pertinent information about deductions or add

> Why can't I log in, see what information employers and banks and whatnot have submitted about my income, add any pertinent information about deductions or additional income, appeal any inaccurate information, then click 'request refund' or 'pay dues', select which bank account to use from the information they already have, and be done? This is exactly how it works here in The Netherlands.

neilfrndes 1y ago
California almost had such a system. NPR's Planet money did a great episode on this called Tax Hero: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2019/04/03/709656642/episode-760-tax-hero https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2019/04/03/709656642/epis... Description below is from the podcast episode page: > Back in 2005, a group in California decided we could make filing taxes dramatically simpler in the US as well. Lots of Americans could receive tax forms in the mail that were pre-filled out by the government. All they'd need to do is check for errors and send the forms back in. > Joseph Bankman, a law professor at Stanford, thought this was such a no-brainer, that he offered to test out the idea with some California taxpayers. It turned out to be a huge success. Other states thought about using the plan. Even California's governor at the time, Arnold Schwarzenegger, supported it. > Bankman thought getting ReadyReturn through the California legislature would be smooth sailing. He was wrong.
- atombender 1y ago
  Joseph Bankman is today probably better known to HN as Sam Bankman-Fried's father.
- dlcarrier 1y ago
  Meanwhile, I went lean FIRE and couldn't e-file in California, because my income was too low. At least I didn't have to file, so I just let them keep my few-hundred-dollar rebate, but they decided to add insult to injury and sent me a letter saying if I didn't file my taxes, they would assume I was earning more than I ever had before and go after me for several thousand dollars.
blibble 1y ago
the UK has actually gone backwards on this today for filling in your company or self assessment tax return there's a perfectly usable website on gov.uk (it's not perfect, but acceptable) and for next year HMRC have just decided to... turn it off, offering no replacement whatsoever you're supposed to pay a third party for to pay your tax, which is completely insane
serallak 1y ago
Also here in Italy, of all places.
- AlecSchueler 1y ago
  Crazy how they've been telling us since January that Europe won't be able to make up for the collapsing US IT sector while they can't even get basic state systems in order.
regularjack 1y ago
Same in Portugal

neilfrndes 1y ago

California almost had such a system. NPR's Planet money did a great episode on this called Tax Hero: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2019/04/03/709656642/episode-760-tax-hero https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2019/04/03/709656642/epis... Description below is from the podcast episode page: > Back in 2005, a group in California decided we could make filing taxes dramatically simpler in the US as well. Lots of Americans could receive tax forms in the mail that were pre-filled out by the government. All they'd need to do is check for errors and send the forms back in. > Joseph Bankman, a law professor at Stanford, thought this was such a no-brainer, that he offered to test out the idea with some California taxpayers. It turned out to be a huge success. Other states thought about using the plan. Even California's governor at the time, Arnold Schwarzenegger, supported it. > Bankman thought getting ReadyReturn through the California legislature would be smooth sailing. He was wrong.

atombender 1y ago
Joseph Bankman is today probably better known to HN as Sam Bankman-Fried's father.
dlcarrier 1y ago
Meanwhile, I went lean FIRE and couldn't e-file in California, because my income was too low. At least I didn't have to file, so I just let them keep my few-hundred-dollar rebate, but they decided to add insult to injury and sent me a letter saying if I didn't file my taxes, they would assume I was earning more than I ever had before and go after me for several thousand dollars.

blibble 1y ago

the UK has actually gone backwards on this today for filling in your company or self assessment tax return there's a perfectly usable website on gov.uk (it's not perfect, but acceptable) and for next year HMRC have just decided to... turn it off, offering no replacement whatsoever you're supposed to pay a third party for to pay your tax, which is completely insane

serallak 1y ago

Also here in Italy, of all places.

AlecSchueler 1y ago
Crazy how they've been telling us since January that Europe won't be able to make up for the collapsing US IT sector while they can't even get basic state systems in order.

regularjack 1y ago

Same in Portugal