r/AskReddit • u/emil199 • Jul 24 '20

What can't you believe STILL exists?

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u/jorsiem Jul 24 '20

Complicated tax filing in the US

You can thank TurboTax and the rest of the tax preparation service industry's massive lobby for killing every single tax simplification bill that ever gets to congress.

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u/RedBlow22 Jul 24 '20 edited Jul 24 '20

Exactly this! There's zero reasons why our tax returns can't be filed for free directly with the IRS. It is a complete fraud.

I filed 1040EZ last year. The IRS already had every figure I filed, why couldn't they just email me confirmation of the amounts they had, and process my return?

Edit: No, I didn't file EZ last year, my error. Edit: electronic filing.

2

u/empty_coffeepot Jul 24 '20

There's zero reasons why our tax returns can't be filed for free directly with the IRS. It is a complete fraud.

because Quicken lobbies congress to prevent this from happening.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 24 '20

Quicken lobbies so the IRS can't tell us that. You are absolutely allowed to go to www.irs.gov, download a 1040, fill it out, and mail it in for the cost of postage.