Today’s links The IRS will do your taxes for you (if that’s what you prefer): After years of expensively purchased delay, Turbotax and its fellow tax-profiteers are losing the fight to make you pay them to tell the government what it already knows. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. This day in history: 2008, 2013, 2018, 2022 Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading The IRS will do your taxes for you (if that’s what you prefer) (permalink) America is a world leader in allowing private companies to levy taxes on its citizens, including (stay with me here), a tax on paying your taxes. In most of the world, the tax authorities prepare a return for each taxpayer, sending them a prepopulated form with all their tax details – collected from employers and other regulated entities, like pension funds and commodities brokers, who must report income to the tax office. If the form is correct, the taxpayer signs it and sends it back (in some countries, taxpayers don’t even have to do that – they just ignore the return unless they want to amend it). No one has to use this system, of course. If you have complex finances, or cash income that doesn’t show up in mandatory reporting, or if you’d just prefer to prepare your own return or pay an accountant to do so for you, you can. But for the majority of people, those with income from a job or a pension, and…Pluralistic: The IRS will do your taxes for you (if that's what you prefer) (17 May 2023)