Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #FreeFile

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America is a world leader in allowing private companies to levy taxes on its citizens, including (stay with me here), *a tax on paying your taxes*.

1/ A vintage drawing of Uncle ...
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

pluralistic.net/2023/05/17/fre…

2/
In most of the world, tax authorities prepare everyone's returns, sending a form with all their tax details - collected from employers and other regulated entities, like pension funds and commodities brokers, who must report income to the tax office.

3/
Read 43 tweets
Every year, Americans spend billions on #TaxPrep services, paying a heavily concentrated industry of giant, wildly profitable firms to send the #IRS information it already has. 1/ An ogrish, tophatted, cigar-chomping giant holds the US Capi
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

pluralistic.net/2023/02/20/tur… 2/
Despite the fact that most other rich countries have a far more efficient process, many Americans believe that adopting this process here is either impossible, immoral, or both. 3/
Read 39 tweets
Ever hear of #BindingArbitration? That's a clause in a contract that says that you aren't allowed to sue the company you're doing business with, even if they cheat, maim or kill you. 1/ A late 19th century illustration of Gulliver unconscious and
It was invented to let giant companies of equal size and power agree in advance not to spend billions and decades in court to resolve contractual disputes. 2/
Then, Federalist Society judges led by Antonin Scalia cleared the way for arbitration to be crammed down everyday folks' throats by powerful businesses. 3/
Read 36 tweets
1/ Recently @Intuit CEO @Sasan_Goodarzi suggested we have a “political agenda.” His evidence? That we’ve run *many* stories on @turbotax.

There’s no agenda, but we have exposed deceptive design & misleading ads, lobbying against free simple returns + more.propub.li/2Vw0vTl
2/ We did our first story *6 yrs ago,* reporting how @TurboTax spent millions lobbying against allowing the government to estimate your taxes for you.

That’s how Spain, Denmark and other countries do it — meaning taxes there often take just minutes. propub.li/2M0e5Ps
3/ @LizDDay detailed how @intuit and @GroverNorquist were leading the charge against what’s called return-free filing. propub.li/2M0e5Ps
Read 27 tweets

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