How does this relate to the Tax Filing industry in the US. Is this really a “public option” for everyone to file their taxes? I hope so…
Next step: Just send me a return I can sign off on, while still giving me the option to file my own if I like.
Next step: Just send me a return I can sign off on, while still giving me the option to file my own if I like.
Eventually the goal is that it pulls in all the different forms and edge cases of the tax code but it's not there yet.
Currently it's just basic "W-2, (maybe a 401k), and basically nothing else" but the trial was also intentionally limited to a small portion of the tax base to keep the project from biting off more than they could chew for the first year.
But yes in the next ~5-10 years as long as the next admin doesn't cancel it, this will probably be a default "public option" for everyone.
No; this is really an MVP. It doesn't work for people with certain types of income (including gig workers), for higher incomes, for cases where you need to itemize deductions etc etc
And then there's the state return, which is not free. The federal government gets a few brownie points, but the tax preparation industry still gets its pound of flesh. It's really unimpressive, it's politics that no one is better off with.