Comments on: Tax Software: E-File or Mail? http://thefinancebuff.com/tax-software-e-file-or-mail.html like a friend telling you about money ... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:31:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Haywood Jablome http://thefinancebuff.com/tax-software-e-file-or-mail.html#comment-6295 Haywood Jablome Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:25:56 +0000 http://blog.thefinancebuff.com/?p=64#comment-6295 The income restrictions for free e-filing are ridiculous and Virginians who have to pay to e-file should refuse to do so. Use TurboTax or your tax prep software to print out the state form. It is typically concise and easily mailed in a standard envelope. Make them handle, process, scan and record your submission. It will take a bit longer for you to get your money but perhaps the Commonwealth will get the picture if 4M returns flood into the Director of Finance. The income restrictions for free e-filing are ridiculous and Virginians who have to pay to e-file should refuse to do so. Use TurboTax or your tax prep software to print out the state form. It is typically concise and easily mailed in a standard envelope. Make them handle, process, scan and record your submission. It will take a bit longer for you to get your money but perhaps the Commonwealth will get the picture if 4M returns flood into the Director of Finance.

]]> By: John Hurst http://thefinancebuff.com/tax-software-e-file-or-mail.html#comment-5524 John Hurst Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:02:39 +0000 http://blog.thefinancebuff.com/?p=64#comment-5524 That the IRS protects an artificial industry at the expense of citizens whom are required to file taxes is an insult. Not only should filers be allowed to file electronically for free, so too should they not have to purchase software to do those taxes which are required. This is the digital age and any organization that values clients or customers go to great lengths to make it clear the way for those customers to do business with them. Instead, the IRS allows trolls to extract a fee from those required to cross the bridge. That the IRS protects an artificial industry at the expense of citizens whom are required to file taxes is an insult. Not only should filers be allowed to file electronically for free, so too should they not have to purchase software to do those taxes which are required. This is the digital age and any organization that values clients or customers go to great lengths to make it clear the way for those customers to do business with them. Instead, the IRS allows trolls to extract a fee from those required to cross the bridge.

]]> By: TFB http://thefinancebuff.com/tax-software-e-file-or-mail.html#comment-46 TFB Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:33:00 +0000 http://blog.thefinancebuff.com/?p=64#comment-46 samerwriter,<br /><br />I'm glad we are on the same page on this and many other issues. I refused to e-file for data security reasons. Until I get a direct connection to the IRS, I won't e-file.<br /><br />The tax prep software industry made a deal with the IRS: they offer "free file" program to low income people, in exchange, the IRS promised not to offer e-file directly to the taxpaypers. In effect the IRS carved out a sizable business to the industry. The "free file" program is very much like a customer acquisition tool. College students with low income qualify for free file. They use it and get hooked on it. After they don't qualify for it any more, they will likely continue using it and pay for it because (a) it has their data and (b) they are already familiar with it. samerwriter,

I’m glad we are on the same page on this and many other issues. I refused to e-file for data security reasons. Until I get a direct connection to the IRS, I won’t e-file.

The tax prep software industry made a deal with the IRS: they offer “free file” program to low income people, in exchange, the IRS promised not to offer e-file directly to the taxpaypers. In effect the IRS carved out a sizable business to the industry. The “free file” program is very much like a customer acquisition tool. College students with low income qualify for free file. They use it and get hooked on it. After they don’t qualify for it any more, they will likely continue using it and pay for it because (a) it has their data and (b) they are already familiar with it.

]]> By: samerwriter http://thefinancebuff.com/tax-software-e-file-or-mail.html#comment-45 samerwriter Thu, 25 Jan 2007 20:44:00 +0000 http://blog.thefinancebuff.com/?p=64#comment-45 E-file makes me absolutely livid.<br /><br />Right now, I print out about 20 pages of tax documents. I drive them to the post office. I wait in line. I pay perhaps $5 for stamps. The returns go onto a truck to the airport. They ride on a plane to Utah, where the whole process is reversed. The IRS scans them into a computer. How ridiculous.<br /><br />E-file should be so easy. No paper, no cars, no lines, no stamps, no planes, no scanners. My computer hooks up to the IRS and sends the data over. It should save me money and time, and it should save the IRS money and time.<br /><br />AND YET I HAVE NO OPTIONS FOR DOING THIS!<br /><br />For some completely inexplicable reason, I have to pay money to e-file. If it saves everyone involved effort, why should I have to pay for it? Adding insult to injury, the IRS advertises their "freefile" system, which offers free e-file to poor people. No doubt subsidized with my e-file dollars. Screw that. To me, that seems like an effort to convince poor people to spend money for computer tax software.<br /><br />So I refuse to pay to e-file. I refuse to e-file for "free after rebate". The $10 fee isn't the reason, it's the principle of the thing. I write my congressmen every year to complain about this issue. E-file makes me absolutely livid.

Right now, I print out about 20 pages of tax documents. I drive them to the post office. I wait in line. I pay perhaps $5 for stamps. The returns go onto a truck to the airport. They ride on a plane to Utah, where the whole process is reversed. The IRS scans them into a computer. How ridiculous.

E-file should be so easy. No paper, no cars, no lines, no stamps, no planes, no scanners. My computer hooks up to the IRS and sends the data over. It should save me money and time, and it should save the IRS money and time.

AND YET I HAVE NO OPTIONS FOR DOING THIS!

For some completely inexplicable reason, I have to pay money to e-file. If it saves everyone involved effort, why should I have to pay for it? Adding insult to injury, the IRS advertises their “freefile” system, which offers free e-file to poor people. No doubt subsidized with my e-file dollars. Screw that. To me, that seems like an effort to convince poor people to spend money for computer tax software.

So I refuse to pay to e-file. I refuse to e-file for “free after rebate”. The $10 fee isn’t the reason, it’s the principle of the thing. I write my congressmen every year to complain about this issue.

]]>