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> keep the tax system complicated

what happened to the original forces that created this mess. I am not convinced that if it wasn't for intuit we would have a simple tax system.

> The majority of the civilized world spends almost 0 time doing personal taxes.

this isn't actually true.



> this isn't actually true

There are at least 50 countries with less complex taxes than the united states


ok?

What does that have to do with original 'almost 0 time' claim?

Also complexity of american tax code didn't come because of turbotax/intuit. Do you really think we have stuff like credits for home improvements, credits for student loan payments ect are in tax code because of intuit?

There are politicians right now trying to cram in more and more tax code because those incentives are incredible popular with American public. All this is not because of intuit.


You got me "almost 0" was hyperbolic, I'll be more specific: In multiple countries personal taxes can be completed with little more than a signature, and most are simpler in general... the US ranks near the bottom in terms of complexity.

I didn't say that Intuit caused complex taxes, I said they actively lobby to keep them complicated.

Intuit spends millions on lobbying every year (against simplification efforts, as well as efforts for the government to create its own free digital tax filing system) and has recently pulled out of a federal free tax filing program, and are being sued by the FTC for their use of "free" in their marketing and performing bait and switch.


> I didn't say that Intuit caused complex taxes, I said they actively lobby to keep them complicated.

they do? I know they lobby against free website. But i don't see why they nee to lobby for complicated tax code since all the tax exemptions and complexity is widely popular with american public. I cant imagine a politican running on removing home improvement exemptions to simplify tax code.


They've specifically lobbied against automatic filing on multiple occasions, spanning several administrations, and they've also lobbied against tax code simplification.

Are you engaging in this conversation to seek more information, or in an attempt to defend Intuit? most of these answers are a simple google away.


> Are you engaging in this conversation to seek more information, or in an attempt to defend Intuit? most of these answers are a simple google away.

yes i am trying to find how they `lobbied against tax code simplification.` . All the links are pointing to how they lobbied against govt run tax filing system. eg: https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-f...


Again, this isn't hard. You can't oppose an argument by coming here and saying "it wasn't in the first google result"

Same source, different article mentions Intuit's opposition to return-free filing:

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-maker-of-turbotax...


> 1. Intuit's opposition to return-free filing

> 2. lobbied against tax code simplification.

1 and 2 are different. yes?

You are right i can tons of examples and articles for 1 but i am looking for 2 specifically.

tax code simplification isn't the same a tax filing simplification.

edit: Yes i am not saying its not simple. 'Tax code' means something specific, its not a generic standin for anything that has to do with taxes. Tax code has nothing do with tax filing itself. I am not sure how to explain this better.


So you're saying that return-free filing is not more simple?

Going to end it the conversation here and log off for the day, nothing personal, it's just a waste of my time to connect the dots in such a painstakingly specific way.




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