TIL that in America, if you work on a free tax filing system you are considered by some to be part of the "far left".
(The creativity has to do with asset games of fixed overhead that only amortizes on sizable fortunes. Poor people had better file their taxes correctly. If you work for a wage, you are poor for the purposes of this discussion.)
Our tax filling is free for decades, but lots of things can be made better.
https://www.numerique.gouv.fr/agenda/rules-as-code-rencontre...
I hear outright wrong arguments for why the USA has not moved to a modern filing system. The US tax system is NOT more complex than other countries. It's pretty middle of the road in complexity. Yes other countries are made up of states too. Yes there's a ton of exemptions in other countries.
It's yet another example of people taking an absurd "government is always less efficient than private" viewpoint that isn't even founded in any academic sense. It's a line broadcast by very rich people that want to siphon off profit and it's hard to do that when it's tax payer funded.
Tax preparation is a huge industry in the US, they're going to fight tooth and nail to make sure the government doesn't cut into their business.
The argument I always hear from the right about this is that they worry that making taxes more efficient will allow them (and government action in general) to increase. The right is explicitly committed to reducing that, so it's not in their interest.
Same reason I've heard from people on the right about ending withholding. They think that if people had to cut an actual check to the government every year (or quarter) that people would realize how much it's costing them and be more amenable to reducing it.
Providing a free, digital service to collect taxes would then be considered a real threat.
(this is the right wing argument, so to speak)
E.g: https://bsky.app/profile/jacobbogage.bsky.social/post/3ljc2o...
(I do not agree with it, it's just what I interpret the arguments to be)
>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
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.
Also, as the below commenter mentioned, states need to agree to be part of Direct File.
Perhaps you overestimate the fraction of taxpayers that itemize deductions, have gig/rental/business income?
So, you know, a policy of making life better for average people.