[geeks] tax software rant

[Phil Stracchino]

Doug McLaren wrote:
> Actually, if you submit your return electronically, it goes through
> the vendor of your tax software, who then submits it to the IRS.
> 
> Now, the IRS could collect the information directly, but I'm guessing
> that they were lobbied really strongly by Intuit, HR Block and others
> to keep them in the $$$ loop.  $15 per pop to accept a relatively
> small .xml file (either it's xml now, or they're pushing for it to be
> xml ... either way, doesn't matter), run some checks on it, then
> submit it to a similar application at the IRS (perhaps as a batch with
> other returns) and then send an email when it all works?  Where can I
> get me a job like that?!?!?
> 
> So even then, they're getting your personal information.

Which is why I mostly just mail it in.  Unless I'm getting a really big
return and have reason to need it right away.


> Now, I'm with you on not trusting a web site to do my taxes, but my
> concerns are more that I'm worried that the web site might go away at
> some point.

There's that too.

>  I assume that they let you save a copy of your tax return
> on your computer (.pdf format seems a given, but also a copy of the
> data file so it can be reloaded?)

Well, you can usually *print* a copy ...  but AFAIK, that's all.  (And
not all the web providers even offer that.)


-- 
 It's not the years, it's the mileage.
 Phil Stracchino              phil.stracchino at speakeasy.net
 Renaissance Man, Unix generalist, Perl hacker, Free Stater
 Landline: 603-429-0220                Mobile: 603-320-5438