For most people, the IRS now has all the information it needs to estimate how much you owe in taxes, or how much of a refund you are due. So why is the burden on you to tell the federal government this same information? It may have something to do with the millions of dollars that H&R Block, Intuit (maker of TurboTax), and others have spent lobbying to maintain their exclusive arrangement with the IRS. [More]
taxing times
DOJ Sues To Shut Down Liberty Tax Franchisee For Giving People Fake Jobs Based On Their Hobbies
By 2.9.16
Federal prosecutors are asking the court to shut down a Liberty Tax Service franchise in South Carolina, alleging that these locations have deliberately prepared false and inflated federal tax refunds by giving them income from fictional jobs and claiming children that don’t exist. [More]
Beware Of Unprepared, Unscrupulous Tax Preparers
By 1.20.15
While one might assume that it requires a modicum of tax expertise and perhaps some sort of certification to be a paid tax preparer, the sad fact is that most states have little to no standards for selling tax preparation services, meaning that once again millions of Americans are being put at risk when seeking help with their tax returns. [More]
Symbolic Senate Vote Demonstrates Support For Marketplace Fairness Act
By 3.22.13
There have been multiple attempts in recent years to push through some sort of federal law that would allow for state governments to collect sales tax on residents’ online purchases, but none have made it very far. However, a Senate vote this afternoon shows their might be some life in the latest iteration of the Marketplace Fairness Act. [More]
