Hacker News Reader

Comment by paulproteus | Hacker News Reader

I work at Code for America on the Tax Benefits team, and we're working on a different website to apply for the Child Tax Credit. (See https://www.getctc.org/ and https://www.getyourrefund.org/. ) From the original article: > Alas, all [People's Policy Project's website] can do is funnel users into Intuit's terrible [child tax credit] site. Today at work, I'm learning how to use the IRS's e-File SOAP API in the hopes that we can build a flow that is easier to use than Intuit's. Feel free to subscribe to our newsletter. :) https://info.codeforamerica.org/newsletter See also https://www.codeforamerica.org/news/meet-code-for-americas-n... for how we're thinking about this work.

View on HN

How did you get access to the SOAP api? Doesn't it need a bunch of verification and special dev accounts with IRS ? Would be great for the docs to be public.

>To receive the distribution of schema packages, you must have an active e-services account and be listed on an e-File application with the provider option of Software Developer. Your role on the e-File Application must be Principal, Responsible Official, or a Delegated User with MeF authorities. If you are a registered user in e-services and are listed on a State e-File application, you will receive this distribution.

We followed the process with the IRS, doing a bunch of verification as you said, which gave us access to the API docs. We're only part-way through the full process of becoming an Online Provider per https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p3112.pdf

I wish it were simpler. I get why the IRS wants to verify who is submitting tax data to them, though.

I've been transferring into rust consulting but i used to help companies get registered on various federal contracts, agreements, DUNS, SAM ETC.

I don't know too much about the specific program but after skimming the pub you posted i may be able to provide some value. I'd be willing to help you out for free as I really like what you guys are doing. Feel free to email me at lrhoades at gsacontractpros.com if you're interested.

Nice. Will you open source the code and docs at all?

I do get why the irs wants to vet submitters in production but you can't even get the detailed info for development without going through the long verification process.

I wanted to do this since I have extensive experience in implementing SOAP clients and interfacing with ancient legacy systems so I am very interested in any public way to contribute

I was just about to suggest that rather than contract out for an end-user application that the IRS create a webservice and let people build front-ends for it. Too bad it's SOAP, but its not the end of the world. If you make you're app open source I'd contribute.

Huge props to your team. Making this tax credit readily available is what, 20 questions of CRUD… So 2,000 lines of code that 10 million people could use to make $3,000 dollars, that’s so $30b of value.

Please make this happen. We need open source code driving this kind of value proposition. Frankly the gov’t should be funding you to make this happen.

Are you blogging your progress and documenting the pitfalls and roadblocks along the way?

This sounds great, anything I can do to help?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com