4 ms·

As a European I don't understand why this company exists at all.

by bni 4mo ago

drysine 4mo ago
Same as Russian. The state provides all needed software for filling documents related to taxes. It's been so for at least 15 years, most likely longer.
xboxnolifes 4mo ago
In the past? Because they make a mostly non-digital system digital and convenient. Currently? Corruption. At least for the TurboTax part of Intuit.
shellfishgene 4mo ago
There are multiple similar companies in many European countries, even though the government provides (often somewhat basic) tools to file taxes. A large percentage of citizens in the Germany and Austria use paid software because it's more comfortable, same in the UK and Poland. But yes, it would be better if that was not the case, like in Scandinavia.
dinkumthinkum 4mo ago
Has anyone in these comments ever heard of QuickBooks?
abeyer 4mo ago
It's worth pointing out that TurboTax is just one of their products... even if it went away overnight, they'd still have a lucrative business publishing QuickBooks. It is basically the standard in small business accounting software in the US, and a majority of small businesses probably use it, pay an outside accountant that does, or both.
drstewart 4mo ago
Maybe you, as an infinitely wise European, can explain this page: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-assessment-commercial-software-suppliers/self-assessment-online-commercial-software-suppliers https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-assessment-c...
- MagicMoonlight 4mo ago
  Those are accounting packages that can submit your tax return for you automatically based on your figures. You don’t have to use them, there’s a free electronic form. But it’s easier if you’re using an accounting system to just plug the numbers straight in.
  - drstewart 4mo ago
    Congratulations, you now magically seem to understand what TurboTax is. >You don’t have to use them, there’s a free electronic form. If only the IRS also had a free fillable form you can use: https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-form...
- venzaspa 4mo ago
  The vast majority of people in the UK don't have to fill out a self assessment because their tax situation is simple and handed by their employers. For the people who do have more complicated tax arrangements, the process takes like 10-15 minutes on the HMRC portal and importantly it's free.
  - drstewart 4mo ago
    So all these commercial software offerings for SAs exist just for fun? I guess I just don't understand why these exist. Europeans have yet to explain this adequately. Can you show me the free option that existed in HMRC's portal for non-domiciled statuses? I can only find websites that contradict your point: https://www.dtaxfiler.co.uk/blog/residence-remittance-sa109 https://www.dtaxfiler.co.uk/blog/residence-remittance-sa109 >You will need to use commercial software that supports the SA109 form (such as DTax Filer), You cannot submit the SA109 form through HMRC’s free online service. . If you do not use compatible software, you will need to print and post your tax return instead. Clearly they're lying and you should correct them post-haste.
ludicrousdispla 4mo ago
In order to create enough loopholes for their wealthy clients, the politicians have made the tax rules so complicated that very few people have confidence that they understand them. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf This is the primary reason that Americans hate paying their taxes.
testing22321 4mo ago
Everything in the US is done to make money, for someone. Education. Healthcare. Prisons. Even filing taxes is a profit centre for someone. It’s not a very successful country. It’s a very successful business.
HarHarVeryFunny 4mo ago
1) Because in the US your employer doesn't withhold tax at the correct rate - they withhold tax at whatever rate you tell them to (this is just a down payment). Places like banks don't withhold taxes at all. So, the US system forces everyone to file taxes (as long as your income is over some very minimal level). 2) Because in the US once your finances get remotely complex, filing taxes is a horrible experience, so most people are willing to either pay for someone else to do it for them, or for software like TurboTax to help do it themselves.
avree 4mo ago
Accounting still exists in Europe, it turns out. Tax preparation/filing software is only about 25% part of Intuit's business.

As a European I don't understand why this company exists at all.

by bni 4mo ago

As a European I don't understand why this company exists at all.

Same as Russian. The state provides all needed software for filling documents related to taxes. It's been so for at least 15 years, most likely longer.

xboxnolifes 4mo ago

In the past? Because they make a mostly non-digital system digital and convenient. Currently? Corruption. At least for the TurboTax part of Intuit.

shellfishgene 4mo ago

There are multiple similar companies in many European countries, even though the government provides (often somewhat basic) tools to file taxes. A large percentage of citizens in the Germany and Austria use paid software because it's more comfortable, same in the UK and Poland. But yes, it would be better if that was not the case, like in Scandinavia.

dinkumthinkum 4mo ago

Has anyone in these comments ever heard of QuickBooks?

abeyer 4mo ago

It's worth pointing out that TurboTax is just one of their products... even if it went away overnight, they'd still have a lucrative business publishing QuickBooks. It is basically the standard in small business accounting software in the US, and a majority of small businesses probably use it, pay an outside accountant that does, or both.

drstewart 4mo ago

Maybe you, as an infinitely wise European, can explain this page: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-assessment-commercial-software-suppliers/self-assessment-online-commercial-software-suppliers https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-assessment-c...

MagicMoonlight 4mo ago
Those are accounting packages that can submit your tax return for you automatically based on your figures. You don’t have to use them, there’s a free electronic form. But it’s easier if you’re using an accounting system to just plug the numbers straight in.
- drstewart 4mo ago
  Congratulations, you now magically seem to understand what TurboTax is. >You don’t have to use them, there’s a free electronic form. If only the IRS also had a free fillable form you can use: https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-form...
venzaspa 4mo ago
The vast majority of people in the UK don't have to fill out a self assessment because their tax situation is simple and handed by their employers. For the people who do have more complicated tax arrangements, the process takes like 10-15 minutes on the HMRC portal and importantly it's free.
- drstewart 4mo ago
  So all these commercial software offerings for SAs exist just for fun? I guess I just don't understand why these exist. Europeans have yet to explain this adequately. Can you show me the free option that existed in HMRC's portal for non-domiciled statuses? I can only find websites that contradict your point: https://www.dtaxfiler.co.uk/blog/residence-remittance-sa109 https://www.dtaxfiler.co.uk/blog/residence-remittance-sa109 >You will need to use commercial software that supports the SA109 form (such as DTax Filer), You cannot submit the SA109 form through HMRC’s free online service. . If you do not use compatible software, you will need to print and post your tax return instead. Clearly they're lying and you should correct them post-haste.

ludicrousdispla 4mo ago

In order to create enough loopholes for their wealthy clients, the politicians have made the tax rules so complicated that very few people have confidence that they understand them. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf This is the primary reason that Americans hate paying their taxes.

testing22321 4mo ago

Everything in the US is done to make money, for someone. Education. Healthcare. Prisons. Even filing taxes is a profit centre for someone. It’s not a very successful country. It’s a very successful business.

HarHarVeryFunny 4mo ago

1) Because in the US your employer doesn't withhold tax at the correct rate - they withhold tax at whatever rate you tell them to (this is just a down payment). Places like banks don't withhold taxes at all. So, the US system forces everyone to file taxes (as long as your income is over some very minimal level). 2) Because in the US once your finances get remotely complex, filing taxes is a horrible experience, so most people are willing to either pay for someone else to do it for them, or for software like TurboTax to help do it themselves.

avree 4mo ago

Accounting still exists in Europe, it turns out. Tax preparation/filing software is only about 25% part of Intuit's business.