DC set to outlaw the IRS from offering fast, free tax services

With a bipartisan bill ironically named the Taxpayer First Act, Congress will prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from ever making tax software capable of assisting or automatically filing taxes for Americans.

Congress is about to make it illegal for the IRS to develop free tax-filing software. @EricLevitz writes https://t.co/gz0bnMCmB9

— Intelligencer (@intelligencer) April 9, 2019

Opinion

The instant reaction by most Americans would be to ask why the government hates us so much they’d outlaw something that would actually help us. But when we look at things through a conservative lens, it becomes clear this is a blessing in disguise.
Don’t get me wrong. Capitol Hill is not pushing the bill for the same reasons I like it. This is yet another special interests play in which the tax-preparation industry is flexing its muscle to codify an unofficial agreement that’s been in place for a long time. The agreement is this: The private firms would continue to offer free tax preparation and filing to those making under $66,000 as long as the IRS doesn’t cut into their business.
I’m happy about this because of Obamacare. No, I’m not talking about the healthcare plan itself. I’m referring to the Obamacare website, which cost taxpayers $2.1 BILLION. I always like to make sure people understand we’re talking about billions of dollars when referring to the Obamacare website. It’s a perfect example of government having a poor plan that was poorly executed, resulting in something that never worked properly while going way overboard on expenses.
That was healthcare. Navigating the various city, county, state, and federal tax laws on behalf of people is much more complicated. One could easily imagine the IRS working with something as complex as automated software for accurate tax assignments easily making the Obamacare website debacle look like a glowing success.
The government already has too much control over our finances with the existence of the IRS itself. I’d much prefer going through the pain of having someone file my taxes rather than trusting the government to do it for me.

Quote

“If Democrats and Republicans can agree on anything these days, it’s that the tax-filing process should be cheaper and easier for the American people — and also, that the IRS should be legally prohibited from making the tax-filing process cheaper and easier for the American people.” – Eric Levitz

Final Thoughts

Taxes are already as obtuse as they can be. While many would love for the IRS to take even more control of our finances by automating the process, the reality is this: They can’t do things better than the private sector. Ever.

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