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> Because if the IRS maximized its "let's automatically do your taxes for you" ability, it would eliminate all the inadvertent violators, reducing the enforceme

> Because if the IRS maximized its "let's automatically do your taxes for you" ability, it would eliminate all the inadvertent violators, reducing the enforcement requirements. What power does the IRS have to automatically do anyone's taxes? Not only would that require laws to change, which the IRS does not have the ability to change, but it would also require access to a huge amount of private info fed either by private citizens or corporations.

true_religion 3y ago
Many people just have all their income come from sources that file with the IRS already (e.g. W2 filers) and they take the standard deduction. What amount of private information would be necessarily added? The proposal is the IRS should propose that they tax you at X rate, and you only file if you disagree. So if you have deductions they can’t know of, then you file.
LinuxBender 3y ago
I have complicated taxes. The CPA's at the lawfirm I use request my tax data from the IRS then compare it to the tax documents from assorted firms I deal with and then just plug it all in again into a form that looks like what the IRS sent them but signed by a different party then they submit it. Even with my complicated mess it could be 100% automated, or perhaps 99.999% and I just press an "Acceptable" or "Dispute" button after they did it if such an interface existed. Every time I've had to engage lawyers with the IRS it has been a mistake of 3rd party firms neglecting to give me a missing form or page usually after mergers. Only once have I've had them accept something was incorrect after battling the IRS and to even break even on that one I would have to take a financial firm to court. The IRS should be going after the 3rd party firms that flubbed their documents, not me. It's a steamy hot mess. Since the discussion is about budget it is also worth noting the IRS have its own courts, lawyers, judges that operate entirely independent of the rest of the legal system. They even have summer breaks and if one has an issue it may sit in a queue for several months or years. I just closed out 2020 and that was a simple error.

true_religion 3y ago

Many people just have all their income come from sources that file with the IRS already (e.g. W2 filers) and they take the standard deduction. What amount of private information would be necessarily added? The proposal is the IRS should propose that they tax you at X rate, and you only file if you disagree. So if you have deductions they can’t know of, then you file.

LinuxBender 3y ago

I have complicated taxes. The CPA's at the lawfirm I use request my tax data from the IRS then compare it to the tax documents from assorted firms I deal with and then just plug it all in again into a form that looks like what the IRS sent them but signed by a different party then they submit it. Even with my complicated mess it could be 100% automated, or perhaps 99.999% and I just press an "Acceptable" or "Dispute" button after they did it if such an interface existed. Every time I've had to engage lawyers with the IRS it has been a mistake of 3rd party firms neglecting to give me a missing form or page usually after mergers. Only once have I've had them accept something was incorrect after battling the IRS and to even break even on that one I would have to take a financial firm to court. The IRS should be going after the 3rd party firms that flubbed their documents, not me. It's a steamy hot mess. Since the discussion is about budget it is also worth noting the IRS have its own courts, lawyers, judges that operate entirely independent of the rest of the legal system. They even have summer breaks and if one has an issue it may sit in a queue for several months or years. I just closed out 2020 and that was a simple error.