Why isn't e-filing free for everyone?

[samclem]

Has anyone heard any rational explanation for the fact that the IRS does not facilitate the free submittal of tax returns? We hear (and I believe) that it costs less for the IRS to process electronic returns. They've got a free e-filing system for low income taxpayers. If it would cost them less to process electronic returns, then it would seem they could just fund the costs for buying a bigger efile processing capability from the savings.

It is free to efile my state return in Ohio--but it's not free to efile my federal return.

 

[brewer12345]

Eff them. They can deal with the big, fat stack of paper I will be putting in t he mail tomorrow.

 

[bpp]

Eff them. They can deal with the big, fat stack of paper I will be putting in t he mail tomorrow.

Agreed. I don't buy the excuse that they "can't compete with private industry." Since when is filling out government forms the province of private industry? Somebody's palms got greased.

 

[RedHawk]

It is free to efile my state return in Ohio

I was going to use the efile in Ohio, but if it was your first Ohio return, you had to go to the Treasuer's office and register so they are getting a paper return this year.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Because in exchange for not starting their own e-filing program, the federal and state governments cut a deal with the companies running the e-filing program that they would offer free e-filing to low-income folks, but could charge (and keep the profits) the middle and upper class filers for the "convenience" of e-filing.

 

[dex]

I e-file so that I know they get the right information

 

[brewer12345]

I e-file so that I know they get the right information

Efff them. The right stuff is on the phonebook I send them. If they still manage to screw it up (usually years later), I will be only too happy to point out their errors to them.

 

[deserat]

I'm with brewer on this one - I send in the paper - I work with computer systems and see things go wrong a lot......luddite in me Plus, I still like the paper and keep it. I know a lot of people disagree, but hey, it's only the cost of postage for me.

 

[Gumby]

I see no reason to make life easier for the IRS.

 

[samclem]

Hey, I'm with all of you that derive a little pleasure from sending them a big stack of papers. I'd print them in light yellow, wipe my nose with tem, and mix up all the pages if I thought I could get away with it. Still, in the grand scheme of things, who is hurt by dealing in the paper rather than electronically? That clerk mindlessly entering the data doesn't care--he/she gets paid just the same and they apparently think doing that work is better than the alternatives. The supervisors at the IRS aren't hurt by it--inefficient or not, they get paid just the same, and probably use the inefficiency of handling paper to hire more people, create more subordinate bosses, and maybe get their position upgraded. Nope--the only folks who get burned are us, in three ways:
-- We get to pay for postage. Need a receipt ya know--that will be extra.
-- We pay higher taxes to an inefficient IRS
-- We get to deal with them later when it turns out the clerk typed in the data wrong.

I'm getting madder!

 

[Warthog]

Because they F'd up their 'Modernization Project' so many times, somebody has to pay for it....

http://news.com.com/IRS+trudges+on+with+aging+computers/2100-1028_3-6175657.html

Google 'IRS Modernization Project'.

There's a big IRS 'Data Processing Center' next to the building I work in. Several people I work with used to work over at the IRS. It's a world-class mess from what I hear.

 

[HFWR]

Modernization

Did the Pony Express get new shoes...

 

[SecondCor521]

Don't forget this is the same institution some of us want to handle our health care.

Yes, you can mark that down as hopefully the only non-objective politically-oriented statement from 2Cor521 this political season.

2Cor521