[notch898a]

People eligible for EITC rarely are handling stacks of 1099 and business transactions.

We're talking about single mom with a couple part time jobs with a W-2 territory.

The idea their taxes should have mistakes more than average seems a bit far-fetched to me.

That said maybe it is cheaper and easier just to eliminate the EITC/taxes/filing for people earning under X. It seems like a waste to even bother with people making under 20 or 30 grand.

[Johnny555]

The idea their taxes should have mistakes more than average seems a bit far-fetched to me.

I used to file my return electronically, a lot of my forms were downloaded electronically so I didn't even have to type in most data. Now I use an accountant (who I assume uses even better software than I do).

What part of "single mom with a couple part time jobs" makes you think that she's perfect at transcribing data and calculating values?

[prepend]

What makes you think she’s any worse at cutting and pasting than a non single mom?

Standard deduction EITC does not involve many calculations even if someone uses the paper form and does it all manually. But most people are using the free tax services made for low income filers.

[Johnny555]

>What makes you think she’s any worse at cutting and pasting than a non single mom?

I don't - I think she's worse and manually copy and writing down the numbers than automated software or a professional accountant.

Cut and paste? Why do you think that she has a computer and her employer gave her access to an electronic portal where she can download her W-2's? My niece is that single-mom with 2 jobs (actually it was 4 jobs, not all at the same time). Last time I helped her with taxes, one of her w-2's was handwritten from her employer.

>EITC does not involve many calculations

But why force her to do any calculations or transcription of numbers at all when the IRS already has them?

[kelnos]

The mere fact that there are any calculations to be made, simple or complicated, means that some people will make mistakes. That's a fact of life.

[prepend]

Of course, but I don’t think single moms are more likely to make mistakes than others.

[Johnny555]

Compared to married moms? Maybe not. Compared to accountants, paid tax preparers, or e-filing software that imports the tax forms? Then most likely yes.

[notch898a]

Your thesis is the taxes aren't worse, it's that you think the poors are too dumb to go to freetaxusa or something where basically all they have to do is copy and paste the data from their W2?

[pandaman]

EITC is not a some kind of a deduction though. EITC is a significant source of government welfare as it pays more than the taxes you paid at certain levels of income. And the reason it's a part of tax code instead of a direct handout is that illegal aliens would not be eligible otherwise, I suspect.