[purple_ferret]

But you don't understand. If the government helps you file your taxes, they'll use the service to collect your personal data, so the communists could use it against you at some point in the future.

(this is the right wing argument, so to speak)

[chabes]

The IRS already files its own version of your taxes. They use their version to check against what you the individual files.

[timewizard]

The IRS has some pretty strict rules about who can access those files and how they can be shared with other agencies. In many ways these rules are unique to the IRS. Precisely because of the issues noted here.

[hypothesis]

IRS had some pretty strict rules. But apparently you just need to replace leadership with an acting toady to override the rules.

E.g: https://bsky.app/profile/jacobbogage.bsky.social/post/3ljc2o...

[dehrmann]

Hijacking this somewhat, but shouldn't the engine be open-source so both Sean Hannity and Richard Stallman can see the code and protect their data from prying government eyes? Or maybe it's already open-source? There should be something like opentaxsolver that has a government stamp of approval.

[philipwhiuk]

Open source? Giving stuff away? Sounds socialist mate.

[phillipcarter]

Is it? I think the more common right-wing argument is that you shouldn't have taxes / the IRS is just evil / the whole government apparatus needs to be burned to the ground.

(I do not agree with it, it's just what I interpret the arguments to be)

[purple_ferret]

Here's the tweet that prompted Elon's 'deleted' tweet:

>18F, the far left government wide computer office that was recently taken over by allies of @elonmusk, is also the same agency that built Elizabeth Warren's "Direct File" tax program.

>Direct File puts the government in charge of preparing peoples tax returns for them.

https://nitter.poast.org/alx/status/1886415751528972515?

Clearly, they think there is something malicious in having the federal government manage this service despite the fact that the result gets submitted....to the federal government anyway

[smallmancontrov]

They are terrified of asset taxes and want to keep them as bureaucratically inhibited as possible.

[timewizard]

First of all, it's the US Governments, and thus the citizens, Direct File tax program. Unless Elizabeth Warren personally wrote the code I don't think her brand deserves to be on it.

Second, are we pretending it was a good system?

"Direct File is now open and available in 25 participating states." Wow. Half the country! That's _almost_ useful.

"You can't use Direct File if you had other types of income, such as gig economy, rental or business income." Again another baffling miss. Perhaps Senator Warren is willing to explain this personally?

"You can't use Direct File if you itemize deductions." What is even the point? Who would have wasted their time creating this boondoggle?

This is all lipservice. People who want to claim credit for a half working implementation. It's 2025. This is utterly embarrassing to the nation and I can't rightly determine what goes through the minds of Senators. They are so detached from the common American experience.

[timdev2]

I don't get your strong objection. A 1.0 release that is fit for use by >80% of the addressable market, and gets high marks from those users is a "boondoggle"?

Perhaps you overestimate the fraction of taxpayers that itemize deductions, have gig/rental/business income?

[janeerie]

Direct File is following a phased roll-out approach to avoid the "big launch" problem that tends to plague government tech projects. The goal is to serve all citizens, but taxes are very complex, and it will take time to address all scenarios.

Also, as the below commenter mentioned, states need to agree to be part of Direct File.

[phillipcarter]

It's available in only 25 states because the other half decided not to participate. Just another maddening example in the long story of how the American system makes it very hard to Do Good Things for the average citizen.

[3eb7988a1663]

The Norquist argument I have heard is that taxes should be painful. Anything that makes it too easy for the government to get money should be avoided.

So, you know, a policy of making life better for average people.