Here’s an undertold truth. The IRS already knows what 95 out of every 100 Americans made last year. They already have your W-2 and your 1099. And yet every year, they make us calculate it ourselves. Then they check your math. And if you’re wrong, they fine you. Or they garnish your wages. Or worse, put you in jail.
In Denmark, they don’t do this. They send you a letter that tells you what you owe. And if it’s wrong, you challenge it. In Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom, and about 30 other countries worldwide, they do it that way.
We don’t.
We pay someone to tell the government what the government already knows.
Doesn’t it strike you as strange?
Why do we put our people through this?
And what’s a better option?
What do you think? Am I wrong here?
The best conversations are two-way streets. I want to hear from you.
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Sources
* The Conversation: “The IRS already has all your income tax data – so why do Americans still have to file their taxes?” - https://theconversation.com/the-irs-already-has-all-your-income-tax-data-so-why-do-americans-still-have-to-file-their-taxes-175777
* ProPublica: “Inside TurboTax’s 20-Year Fight to Stop Americans From Filing Their Taxes for Free” - https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free
* OpenSecrets: “TurboTax owner Intuit ramps up lobbying as debate over government-run free tax filing heats up” - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/05/turbotax-owner-intuit-ramps-up-lobbying-as-debate-over-government-run-free-tax-filing-heats-up/
* HowStuffWorks: “The IRS Already Has Our Data So Why Do We Still File Taxes?” - https://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/personal-income-taxes/us-return-free-tax-news.htm
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