PSA re: taxes from celli via conuly

[sonia]

The IRS invites the public to participate in an anonymous feedback survey on tax preparation and filing options, which will run through Sept. 5, 2025.

The survey is being conducted as part of the Department of Treasury and the IRS’s efforts to fulfill a reporting requirement to Congress under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act. The law directs Treasury to deliver a report to Congress by Oct. 2, 2025, on several key issues related to free tax filing options for the public.

Treasury and the IRS encourage taxpayers to share their perspectives and help inform this important congressional report.

Translation: We have to report to Congress about the public's interest in Free File (filing directly on the IRS website) because they want to quash it, so here's a survey!

survey here

There are a couple of leading questions that I personally found HIGHLY entertaining. But I do recommend that if you are an American taxpayer you take a look at it/take it.

There was one question that asked what's important in filing taxes, and it had an "other" option that opened a handy text window, so I used that text window to tell them all about how filing taxes is a waste of time and money when the IRS already has all that information. There is absolutely no reason they can't just send you a bill or a refund every year, with a receipt, and you'd only have to file if you had to correct errors or had income or deductions that had been unreported for whatever reason.

Comments

[suncat]

I do see your point.

But to be contrarian, I'd ask if it would be a good thing to make tax collection so frictionless. What would be on that receipt? How could you spot errors on what the government claims you owe, let alone get them corrected?

[sonia]

I suppose people could still do the complicated calculations if they want. But right now we're doubly taxed. No control over the amount *and* having to spend all this time fussing with it.

The survey doesn't directly ask about this, so you can fill it out without mentioning it.

[silveradept]

Presumably all the documentation that we receive from our employers to do or taxes would be part of our official receipt package, so we could compare numbers and do the calculations and audit the results.

Doing something line this might also free up resources to go after tax cheats, which is one of the best returns the IRS gets for the money they spend.

[sonia]

Yeah, which is why the IRS is being starved of resources by the mega tax cheats at the top.

[runpunkrun]

Excellent use of that Other window! The entire time I was filling out that survey I was thinking about how the IRS could do (and does!) our taxes for us and what a waste of everybody's time (and money!) the current system is.

[sonia]

I wouldn't have thought of it on my own either!