Slashdot Mirror
CA State Offers To Prepare Simple Tax Returns
Makarand writes "California is ready to roll out a program for taxpayers where the
state will
offer to fill out their tax forms for them if they are simple enough. Taxpayers
will merely have to go online, download and review the completed forms prepared
for them and confirm their return. This program is supposed to save money
for the state, reduce tax related headaches for many and bring into the
tax system those who are not paying any taxes currently.
The state will take information it already receives on W-2 wage statements,
put it in the right boxes on the tax return, and do the math."
1. How much money do you have?
2. Send check for amount specified in step #1.
3. You still owe, work harder next year.
Thank you,
Your Government
The only reason it's not national is due to pressure from tax preparers to prevent the loss of money that they make by doing peoples' taxes each year. H&R Block and other big tax preparers are huge roadblocks towards online filing directly with the IRS. I'm sure they are claiming it wouldn't be safe, or some nonsense like that. Really they don't want to give up the opportunity to sell those "refund anticipation loans", which have insane interest rates.
The tax system is too complicated... we need the Fair Tax.
Simply put, the FairTax replaces the way we're currently taxed - based on our annual income - with a tax on goods and services. The FairTax is a voluntary "consumption" tax: the more you buy, the more you pay in taxes, the less you buy, the less you pay in taxes.
It's simple.
Everyone pays their fair share of taxes, and with the FairTax rebate, spending up to the poverty level is tax free. The Federal government is fully funded, including Social Security and Medicare, and you don't need an expert to determine your Federal taxes.
It's simple.
Read the FAQs
The one thing I hate more than paying tax is working out my tax.
Last year I filled in my tax and missed out a bit of interest I had earned. It wasn't anything significant and the tax office sent me a nice letter saying that I'd missed out on a bit but that it wasn't a big problem etc etc.
But that left me thinking that if they already know how much interest I've earned (as it's all reported by the banks) then why the hell make me work it out myself. Just give me something filled in as much as possible and then let me check it for errors, fill in any gaps, and be done.
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
How is it that every time I see some unique law or way of governing it's in California? I'm genuinely interested. Do they have a fundamentally different way of thinking? Can someone who lives there comment?
Your not only sending it to them, they already have it. Every W-2, every 1099, every piece of paper you receive, the IRS has already been sent that info. When you report, they simply match up your info to that which your employer or bank or whoever already sent in. If there is a discrepancy, the computer spits out an automated request for clarification which is mailed to you. This is what makes it harder for the average individual to cheat.
When you own your own business, and generate these forms yourself, that is where the real opportunity for cheating is.
This is a bad idea.
Simplifying the tax code could result in hundreds of thousands of coke-bottle glasses-wearing bean-counters wandering around North America looking for work.
Finding none, they would eventually gang together and attack the rest of us threatening paper cuts and possible thrown pen damage.
Link
I agree 100% that the tax code needs to be simplified. Off the top of my head I can think of three problems, though I'm sure there are many more.
1) What about Roth IRAs, savings accounts, investments, etc where the money has already been taxed? I already paid income taxes on the money in my bank account, if we switch over then I'll be taxed again.
2) Tax deductions. I know you want to get rid of them to simplify the code, but it's not realistic to do away with the housing interest tax deduction, for example. 70% of American families own their home, so this would be political suicide.
3) This would create a huge black market for tax-free goods. People would be forming fake small businesses and then apply for resale permits to buy their goods tax-free. What about goods sold online? They will have to be taxed. Will you go after every last person on Ebay?
I think we're pretty much stuck with the system we have.
Fair tax isn't regressive at all.
A flat sales tax is neither regressive nor progressive.
I don't read AC A human right