TurboTax Uses Dark Patterns to Trick You into Paying to File Your Taxes

Re:TurboTax Uses Dark Patterns to Trick You into Paying to F... by smacktoward on Monday April 22, 2019 @01:18PM (#19720686)

> Back when it existed, less than 20% of people filed a 1040-EZ (the simplest tax form). That means you need something beyond just "plug in the numbers from the W-2" for the vast majority of tax filers.

Or it means that lots of people who qualified to use the 1040-EZ didn't know about it.

Or it means that lots of people who qualified to use the 1040-EZ kept on filing 1040s because that's what they were used to doing.

Or it means that lots of people who qualified to use the 1040-EZ were using tax software that just generated a 1040 for everyone, regardless of their eligibility to use the 1040-EZ.

Etc.

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Re:TurboTax Uses Dark Patterns to Trick You into Paying to F... by harryh on Monday April 22, 2019 @01:33PM (#19720825)

The IRS releases aggregated information on what % of people take various deductions or use various aspects of the different tax forms. This information does not support your various alternative hypotheses.

For the record any of the following disallowed someone from using the 1040-EZ

  - being over the age of 65
  - having any dependents/children
  - making over 100k in income
  - claiming any deductions at all

It was a very limiting form.

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Re:TurboTax Uses Dark Patterns to Trick You into Paying to F... by jtuente on Monday April 22, 2019 @01:49PM (#19720999)

Adding one more

    - claiming EITC

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