Filing taxes online for free?

j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
State of California already does this for your state taxes since we have state taxes and all.
 
avnetguy

avnetguy

Audioholic Chief
Up north we've been able to file free for many years with Studio Tax. :)

Steve
 
Rickster71

Rickster71

Audioholic Spartan
Seems to me the whole problem would be solved with a Flat Tax.

My wife has had her own accounting business for close to 30 years.
We've seen more simple addition & subtraction mistakes made by the IRS than you'd believe possible.

It's scary that the author of the slanted article wants to put even more in the hands of the Gubment.
 
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bikemig

Audioholic Chief
Up north we've been able to file free for many years with Studio Tax. :)

Steve
Don't make me jealous about Canada. Just because you guys make some of the best music gear in the world and you can file taxes free online . . . doesn't mean that you're better than us. :D
 
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bikemig

Audioholic Chief
Seems to me the whole problem would be solved with a Flat Tax.

My wife has had her own accounting business for close to 30 years.
We've seen more simple addition & subtraction mistakes made by the IRS than you'd believe possible.

It's scary that the author of the slanted article wants to put even more in the hands of the Gubment.
The idea is that this would be a computer program just like Turbo tax. But maybe other countries can do this well and our government is too incompetent to do this . . . .
 
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Rickster71

Rickster71

Audioholic Spartan
The idea is that this would be a computer program just like Turbo tax. But maybe other countries can do this well and our government is too incompetent to do this . . . .
Understood.
My contention was that once 'any' computer program spits out it's numbers, they are put on a form that's reviewed by an IRS person.
At that point simple math mistakes were made. (by them, while adding or subtracting lines) Those mistakes were then followed by IRS demands for back taxes and fines.
When their simple math mistake was pointed out, their reply was, "Never mind" and then hung up.

Not sure how forthcoming the IRS's computer program would be in finding every possible deduction for the taxpayer?
Unfortunately it's a convoluted mess that would be remedied with a flat tax.
 
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bikemig

Audioholic Chief
Sure a flat tax has a lot of appealing things about it; or even a simple graduated system with almost any exceptions. But a program is something that one can choose to use or not so it's not really government overreaching. Anyone can buy their own program or take out their pencil and use calculator (they still make those, right?) . Plus there are plenty of citizens with expertise who would check the program out and let people know if it is not working. Shining the light on the government helps fix mistakes. Agreed about deductions (the IRS might mess these up) but that's why citizen monitoring of what government does is so important.
 
Rickster71

Rickster71

Audioholic Spartan
The mistakes I was speaking about, weren't from any computer program.
They were all human errors made later during the review process.

Having the IRS supply their program to collect tax?
It's a conflict of interest for the state's tax collector and enforcer to also become people's tax preparer.
 
Steve81

Steve81

Audioholics Five-0
But a program is something that one can choose to use or not so it's not really government overreaching.
I'd have to agree. From my POV, the IRS is already going through the motions in order to verify the accuracy of the returns received. All this does is let you know what the results of their analysis are. As long as you can dispute or get a second opinion, it isn't much of a problem to me.

Sure a flat tax has a lot of appealing things about it; or even a simple graduated system with almost any exceptions.
I think a flat tax with a base 15K deduction and minimal further deductions (charitable donations, family size) could be appealing (to me at least). On one hand, the tax is progressive and wouldn't really impact those with minimal ability to pay taxes. On the other, with everyone ostensibly paying the same rate, it's harder to make claims of class warfare stick.
 
its phillip

its phillip

Audioholic Ninja
My taxes have always been free to do. I don't make enough money D:
 
lsiberian

lsiberian

Audioholic Overlord
I don't like this idea. I'm not for killing an industry like this.

I'm against a flat tax, but for a fat tax.
 
Rickster71

Rickster71

Audioholic Spartan
I'd have to agree. From my POV, the IRS is already going through the motions in order to verify the accuracy of the returns received. All this does is let you know what the results of their analysis are. As long as you can dispute or get a second opinion, it isn't much of a problem to me.
Just in case my earlier point got lost in the shuffle:
Having the IRS supply their computer program to collect tax?
It's a conflict of interest for the federal or state tax collector and enforcer to also become people's tax preparer.


On the other, with everyone ostensibly paying the same rate, it's harder to make claims of class warfare stick.
What would politicians do without playing the class warfare or racism cards?:D
 
Steve81

Steve81

Audioholics Five-0
It's a conflict of interest for the federal or state tax collector and enforcer to also become people's tax preparer.
I guess my line of thought is that on some level, they already are. I dutifully send in my carefully prepared tax return, but if I forget to include some relevant source of income, the odds are pretty good I'll be notified to that effect.

With respect to the IRS supplying their own code, it doesn't necessarily have to be done in house, though regardless if such a system were implemented, it should be independently checked and verified on a continuous basis. Its a sensitive issue to be sure, but if we can implement computerized voting without big allegations of corruption, taxes shouldn't be any bigger of an issue.

What would politicians do without playing the class warfare or racism cards?:D
One can only imagine...
 
Rickster71

Rickster71

Audioholic Spartan
I guess my line of thought is that on some level, they already are. I dutifully send in my carefully prepared tax return, but if I forget to include some relevant source of income, the odds are pretty good I'll be notified to that effect.
True...just as long as they are equally judicious with notifying us of missed deductions and loopholes.:D



Its a sensitive issue to be sure, but if we can implement computerized voting without big allegations of corruption, taxes shouldn't be any bigger of an issue.
Don't get me started...:D
 
Steve81

Steve81

Audioholics Five-0
True...just as long as they are equally judicious with notifying us of missed deductions and loopholes.:D
Funny enough, I don't think I've ever received that notice. I did get a notice from the IRS a few years back because they misread the amount I had withheld during the year though. Fortunately like you, a phone call cleared that up.
 
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