FOSSDLE PieFedIRS Makes Direct File Software Open Source After Trump Tried to Kill It
Scrubblesgizmodo.com/irs-makes-direct-file-software-open…
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Excited to see forks for this. Wonder if each state could tailor it but not sure how complex it would be unfortunately.
TurboTax is a parasite to simple filing
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CosmicTurtle0I'll do you one better: we should have return free filing: the government sends you a bill saying what they think you owe. If you agree, you send them a check. If you don't agree, you send in your paperwork.
Most countries have figured this out.
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@ToadOfHypnosis @CosmicTurtle0 Want something more bullshit? You get 3 years to find mistakes in your past returns, the IRS gets 7 years to find mistakes, and if'n you owe money, you owe interest since the underpayment.
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@ToadOfHypnosis Not sure, I know that the rules really benefit the IRS, I should've owed $1800, but after that, interest (starts on the day it was due), penalties, and fees, I owed $4200. Nice racket they got there.
Real problem is that the rules change every year so the software has to be constantly updated and that sometimes requires insider information about what changes are coming. Often the IRS publications aren't available until the last minute or later, definitely not in enough time for proper quality processes. So, while simple returns can sometimes be done with software like this, a lot of people rely on the software or agencies to know all the new rules.
That being said, I would like it a lot if there was a way to file very single form, but fill it out manually in the software, without calculations being done by the software. At least then you could file electronically regardless of what complex forms you need to file with complex worksheets and sub-forms, if the software didn't need to know about those things, just the forms you actually file. As it is, the only way to file these is with expensive software or on paper which can take many months for the IRS to process and you could be on the hook for interest if you file something wrong and the IRS doesn't reject in time for you to correct it and resubmit before interest charges accrue.
Also, a lot of IRS processes require the software to be certified (or at least did the last time I looked at it) because their software isn't sophisticated enough to validate the complex forms, so getting that certification might be difficult for FOSS software. I'll be interested to see how that plays out.
jagged_circleWhat's the license?
Edit: Ugh, it's licensed CC0 public domain. Assholes.
GreenSkreeWhat's wrong with CC0?
It means that any company can take that code, modify it (as would be required every year per IRS tax changes), and resell it without being required to publish the source code changes.
What many European countries are doing is requiring the government to publish code under a copyleft license. That would allow companies to also benefit from this code to make their own tools (which they could also sell), and it would require them to publish the source code of their improvements.
Basically copyleft legally ensures collaboration. Public domain does not.
HiddenLayer555IIRC all US government projects HAVE to be CC0 if released to the public. I think the idea is it was created with public money so there shouldn't be any restrictions on how the public can use it.
That was before copyleft was a thing. Many European governments are now requiring tax funded software to be copyleft.
There are exceptions to that law, such as the USPS. Sounds like we need to contact our legislators to get the law updated
Licensing CC0 is just subsidizing corporations at the expense of tax payers. It should be copyleft because it was funded publicly
I want to think here that this is more about not knowing about licenses than malice.
They did open it.
If open source developers can now keep the tax code updated, you're all golden
This works so long as DOGE doesn't get into the IRS offices and start turning off all the APIs.
With the way things have been going I’m starting to wonder if they even know what an API is, lol
The APIs used by TurboTax? Unlikely
Incredibly based.
why did trump try to kill it?
Because TurboTax lobbied to change the narrative to "we already have private market solutions for tax, therefore the government hosting a no-cost option is actually wasteful and bad for the budget"
"Don't compete with us in this supposed free market"
wow, complicated.
Ugh, it's licensed CC0 public domain. Assholes.
https://github.com/IRS-Public/direct-file/blob/main/LICENSE
Can you walk me through why you think this is bad? Doing a quick search for the license didnt make it apparent to me.
It means that any company can take that code, modify it (as would be required every year per IRS tax changes), and resell it without being required to publish the source code changes.
What many European countries are doing is requiring the government to publish code under a copyleft license. That would allow companies to also benefit from this code to make their own tools (which they could also sell), and it would require them to publish the source code of their improvements.
Basically copyleft legally ensures collaboration. Public domain does not.