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A comment on Free Tax Software Is Bad. Parent comment

Re:Free Tax Software Is Bad by marknutter on Saturday February 07, 2015 @11:30AM (#9014397)
That seems like a pretty simplistic conclusion to make. Do you really think, given the recent embarrassment that was the ACA enrollment website, Intuit is worried the Government will come up with better software to file taxes than they have? It makes more sense to me that Intuit is worried the Government will shut out alternatives once they put their tax filing service online by making it the only way people can e-file, and that it will only be "better" because it will involve further reach of the Government into our personal financial information. I would absolutely spend millions to lobby against that potential outcome if I were them and I'm glad they do. If we have tax reform, I'd rather it be a complete overall of the tax system to make it simpler rather than spend millions allowing the Government fumble around trying to make software that helps people navigate the laughably complex tax system they were responsible for creating in the first place.
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Re:Free Tax Software Is Bad by chrisbennet on Saturday February 07, 2015 @04:44PM (#9015409)
The tax reform that they lobbied against would have made it similar to the way some other countries do it:

The IRS sends you a form with all the numbers filled in. After all, for many people, the IRS already has that information.

Here's Norway's version:

"You will receive a tax return from the Norwegian Tax Administration in March/April if you work in Norway or on the Norwegian continental shelf. The tax return gives an overview of your income, deductions, assets and debts for the last income year.

You must check that the information in the tax return is correct and complete. You do not need to submit it if there are no changes to be made."

http://www.skatteetaten.no/en/International-pages/If-you-wor...

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Re:Free Tax Software Is Bad by tobylane on Saturday February 07, 2015 @05:03PM (#9015473)
>it will involve further reach of the Government into our personal financial information.

The system many other countries have, such as the example given for Norway, involves them filling the data you intend to give to them. If you supply your own data then you may have to give proof. I don't see the difference in what they end up knowing.

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