<story><title>TurboTax’s fight against free tax filing</title><url>https://slate.com/technology/2022/04/turbotax-free-file-online-ftc.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>bigbacaloa</author><text>In Spain I log onto the tax agency website using my digital certificate. It tells me what I have been paid during the year, what I own, how big my mortgage is, etc. If I agree I click a button and pay whatever I owe. If I don&amp;#x27;t agree, or some info is missing, I add it in and then click the button.&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#x27;s astronomically easier than filing the same tax information in the US and takes far less time even though the tax code is less clearly written and user support is almost totally nonexistent.&lt;p&gt;The nonexistence of a national ID system makes digital identification unnecessarily difficult. The idea that an individual has to redeclare to the IRS what has already been declared to the IRS on W2s and 1099s is just stupid.&lt;p&gt;The US tax filing system is simply primitive.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>chucksta</author><text>It is not primitive, it is intentionally complex and riddled with loop holes so it can be manipulate by those who know how to creating all kinds of new markets for law, filing, and enforcement.</text></comment>
<story><title>TurboTax’s fight against free tax filing</title><url>https://slate.com/technology/2022/04/turbotax-free-file-online-ftc.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>bigbacaloa</author><text>In Spain I log onto the tax agency website using my digital certificate. It tells me what I have been paid during the year, what I own, how big my mortgage is, etc. If I agree I click a button and pay whatever I owe. If I don&amp;#x27;t agree, or some info is missing, I add it in and then click the button.&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#x27;s astronomically easier than filing the same tax information in the US and takes far less time even though the tax code is less clearly written and user support is almost totally nonexistent.&lt;p&gt;The nonexistence of a national ID system makes digital identification unnecessarily difficult. The idea that an individual has to redeclare to the IRS what has already been declared to the IRS on W2s and 1099s is just stupid.&lt;p&gt;The US tax filing system is simply primitive.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>AviationAtom</author><text>The reason the US lacks a national ID system ties back to a strongly held belief about state&amp;#x27;s rights, and that a national ID system would violate those rights, IIRC. I think it&amp;#x27;s already somewhat happened though, as I understand REAL ID to more or less be that.</text></comment>