> There have been several proposed bills that would create a pre-filled tax form system, but they always get quietly sidelined by tax industry lobbyists.
Not just industry lobbyists. Another big part is Grover Norquist's "Americans for Tax Reform" and similar groups. They have a lot of influence with about half of Congress.
Here's a PowerPoint presentation [1] Norquist presented to the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform in 2005 explaining their opposition to free filing.
It's short so I'll paste the text from each slide here, with the slide titles marked with dashes, so people don't have to find a copy of PowerPoint (or LibreOffice or Keynote, which also can open it fine).
---- Implementing a “Return-Free” Tax Filing Scheme
Presentation to the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform
Grover Norquist
President
Americans for Tax Reform
May 17, 2005
---- The Current System
Tax filing is citizen-based – taxpayers tell the government what they earned and owe
---- Under Return-Free
Tax filing would be government-based – the burden would be on the taxpayer to challenge the government’s findings -- essentially an audit of every single American taxpayer
---- The Fox Would Guard the Henhouse
The same agency that collects taxes would be the tax preparer – the motivation to maximize revenue would dominate both ends of the process
---- Return-Free is a Tax Increase
The true goal is to increase revenue. The government knows few taxpayers will challenge its findings
---- Taxes Should be Visible
Doing taxes keeps citizens aware of the tax burden imposed upon them by the government. A Return-Free scheme would allow the government to raise revenues invisibly
---- The California Example
The State would not guarantee the accuracy of the returns it prepared – the taxpayer was removed from the process, but left with the responsibility
The pilot program achieved 50% less uptake than planned
Comments by CA officials tell us that the true aim was increased revenue
[1] http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/taxreformpanel/meetings/docs/...
Not just industry lobbyists. Another big part is Grover Norquist's "Americans for Tax Reform" and similar groups. They have a lot of influence with about half of Congress.
Here's a PowerPoint presentation [1] Norquist presented to the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform in 2005 explaining their opposition to free filing.
It's short so I'll paste the text from each slide here, with the slide titles marked with dashes, so people don't have to find a copy of PowerPoint (or LibreOffice or Keynote, which also can open it fine).
---- Implementing a “Return-Free” Tax Filing Scheme
Presentation to the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform
Grover Norquist
President
Americans for Tax Reform
May 17, 2005
---- The Current System
Tax filing is citizen-based – taxpayers tell the government what they earned and owe
---- Under Return-Free
Tax filing would be government-based – the burden would be on the taxpayer to challenge the government’s findings -- essentially an audit of every single American taxpayer
---- The Fox Would Guard the Henhouse
The same agency that collects taxes would be the tax preparer – the motivation to maximize revenue would dominate both ends of the process
---- Return-Free is a Tax Increase
The true goal is to increase revenue. The government knows few taxpayers will challenge its findings
---- Taxes Should be Visible
Doing taxes keeps citizens aware of the tax burden imposed upon them by the government. A Return-Free scheme would allow the government to raise revenues invisibly
---- The California Example
The State would not guarantee the accuracy of the returns it prepared – the taxpayer was removed from the process, but left with the responsibility
The pilot program achieved 50% less uptake than planned
Comments by CA officials tell us that the true aim was increased revenue
[1] http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/taxreformpanel/meetings/docs/...