[neuronexmachina]

Many in the GOP are generally opposed to federally-funded free tax return filing: https://pennsylvaniaindependent.com/politics/irs-direct-file...

> In December, however, Kelly and 28 House Republican colleagues wrote to President-elect Donald Trump to ask him to end the program: “We write to urge you to take immediate action, including but not limited to a day-one executive order, to end the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) unauthorized and wasteful Direct File pilot program. The program’s creation and ongoing expansion pose a threat to taxpayers’ freedom from government overreach, and its rollout and structural flaws have already come at a steep price.”

[rounce]

All the dramatic language they use to dress up their claims is completely ridiculous.

[shigawire]

The argument (if you take it in the most charitable light) is that reducing barriers to paying taxes will make people less averse to paying taxes. So they fight any effort to bring sanity to the tax code or tax payment process.

So even taken charitably I think they are wrong. But I do believe it is simply just corrupt and malicious.

[hnbad]

You'd think the threat of having your bank accounts frozen and armed law enforcement officers showing up at your door were the most significant factors in making people "less averse" to paying taxes. I doubt reducing the barriers to filing your taxes correctly makes anyone happier about having to pay taxes either.

[UltraSane]

You should see the crazy shit they say about the IRS hiring 80,000 more employees that they desperately need.

[ahartmetz]

What the actual fuck. Simplifying government paperwork = government overreach. Got it.