this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2023
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You always had the ability to freely file your taxes.
That guy is obviously exaggerating for effect and you are technically correct, but he's not wrong.
Companies like Inuit and H&R Block have been lobbying for ages to keep the free file forms ridiculously overcomplicated, difficult to navigate/complete, and dangerously generalized to the point where if you mis-interpret a line on one of your several non-intuitively named financial forms you will be committing tax fraud
It is objectively easier, safer, and more convenient to file taxes through one of these private companies and the is by design.
Thank you -- the point I was trying to make is that technically USians can file their own taxes, but that it's overly complicated, and many believe intentionally obfuscated, in order to push citizens to use private corps to do it for them (at a healthy profit for said corps).
Whereas, in Canada (and as I understand it, most other nations) the tax system is not so baroque as to discourage people from doing it themselves.
I've been doing my own taxes for 22 years, it's not hard
In Canada, unless you have some weird stuff, the tax filing form is smaller than the census. They just need to confirm things that links your accounts. They already have your pay and taxes amounts from your employer, your bank tax statements from your banks, etc. So unless you’re doing something only like 1% of the population does, it’s a two pager online, 20 minutes in and out, that’s it.
That’s not far from the same for simple filings here in the USA. Both my adult kids do their own in about 10-15 min. Maybe less after the first year. This is through TurboTax online.
Also, it’s free as long as you don’t make much or have things like HSA or 401k.
Isn't 401k pension payment? Not from USA.
It is a retirement savings plan that most employers offer. You put money in it from your pay period into it, and it is taken out pre-tax, as in your taxes are calculated from your pay during that period after the retirement deduction is taken out (other things are pre-tax also, but 401k is one of them)
Filing taxes still isn't free then, if filing for something basic as pension isn't.
It’s still free, just not through turbo tax.
Filing taxes is always free. But for some people, it can be more complicated than they are comfortable doing. If all you have is a W-2 job with an HSA and a 401(k), your taxes are so straightforward you could do them yourself very easily in 10 minutes using the irs.gov ffff site.
Oh, but then there is the issue of state taxes which most states have. I can’t speak to all 50 states, but I do know if you live in a state with no income tax there’s literally nothing to file.
sure down vote the truth