this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/25117460

Summary

Elon Musk claimed on X that he eliminated the IRS team responsible for the "Direct File" program, which allows Americans to file taxes online for free.

His statement came in response to a right-wing influencer criticizing the program as government overreach.

However, the Treasury Department confirms that the Direct File system remains active, offering free tax filing with customer support.

The program, available in English and Spanish, is optional, allowing taxpayers to choose between using it or filing their taxes manually.

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[–] [email protected] 42 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

You'd think that if DOGE was really DOGE that this is the exact kind of thing they'd double down on and make really good, saving everyone shit load of money.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 hour ago (2 children)

You'd think that's the case, if you thought saving money or helping average Americans was actually their goal. The American government is being carved up as fast as they can get away with it. Gotta free up cash to give billionaires more tax cuts!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 20 minutes ago

They also learned from the wall. Can't pay to deport 10-20 million for free. Gotta enact tariffs and just stop paying for anything they can get away with.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Don't forget... Eliminating any government oversight that might affect their business interests...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

And eliminating any funding they can for media that will speak against them.

Edit: these people are directly tanking the platform Mr. Rogers had. The magic school bus, sesame Street, Arthur, Clifford, Barney, Reading Rainbow... They come from PBS, which is under attack by Elon Musk and Donald Trump

I get advertisements trying to give free pamphlets to kids about what Trump has done for our country and how he is saving it. He's looking for the fucking Hitler Youth. Period

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

You mean instead of "deleting" it right?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Ya, don't delete, make it even better and save even more money for everyone

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Ok. For a second I wanted to down vote because I thought you meant they should double down on what they did.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 57 minutes ago

Thanks for asking for clarification first!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 minute ago

They already do, thats why they're doing this. They need to fear reprisal

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 hour ago

"Elon Musk claimed on X that he eliminated the IRS team responsible for the "Direct File" program, which allows Americans to file taxes online for free"

"However, the Treasury Department confirms that the Direct File system remains active, offering free tax filing with customer support"

Big story. Is every tweet going to be a shocking story? Isn't that beneficial to the media who done nothing / helped install theese morons?

[–] [email protected] 57 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

The sooner average Americans realize that these people are America's enemies, the sooner we can do something about it.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 hours ago

So you are saying we better not wait standing up?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago

Wow! Holy shit!

[–] [email protected] 79 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (6 children)

How the hell does this lower costs?

right-wing influencer criticizing the program as government overreach.

So the right is against self-service now? wtf

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 hour ago

They're against the slaves not using TurboTax.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 hours ago

So the right is against self-service now? wtf

You may want to look into Grover Norquist and his organisation Americans for Tax Reform. It is one of the most influential political lobbying groups in the United States, and it has the support of essentially the entire republican party. They essentially consider tax to be evil on principle and ask every politician to sign a pledge opposing any tax hike.

ATR is strongly against automatic filing, as they want to keep taxes difficult and complicated to stoke anti-tax sentiment. That is to say, they fear that if filing tax is easier, citizens would be less likely to fight taxes in the way that the ATR wants (mostly they like a low flat tax, because it's simple and good for rich people).

[–] [email protected] 63 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

This version of the right wing is against any service provided to the public for free which their own companies could profit from by charging for it. And they also, as a matter of principle, believe that the poor should be punished, and punished again.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago

yes because it takes money away from companies like intuit and taxact and hrblock... ,sarcasm.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

So the right is against self-service now? wtf

Why are looking for coherence in their ideology? They've never made any indication that they are ideological consistent. Its projection on our part to do so, and the constant exacerbation at the obvious and consistent conclusion is tiresome.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 hours ago

Cool so I'm not doing my taxes again this year

[–] [email protected] 68 points 5 hours ago

Cruelty is the point. The goal is to make the lives of impoverished people harder.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 5 hours ago

Oh man.

In Germany this would mean dismantling the only functioning digital government service. Haha.

[–] [email protected] 126 points 6 hours ago (6 children)

His statement came in response to a right-wing influencer criticizing the program as government overreach.

... HOW????? This movement simply has no real agenda or philosophy - they just want to burn everything down.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 hours ago

The government providing a free service that private companies charge for is considered overreach by the wealthy elite who stand to gain from holding a monopoly over access to a necessary thing.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

They literally ran on dismantling our government and the majority of voting Americans voted for them.

For the first time in my life I'm seriously considering getting citizenship elsewhere. Nothing good can happen for the future of this nation with a populace that stupid.

It's over.

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[–] [email protected] 77 points 6 hours ago (4 children)

This movement simply has no real agenda or philosophy - they just want to burn everything down.

That is the agenda

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Disclaimer: I don't agree with this but providing a possible rationale. They believe the government is overreaching because "easy" tax filing has been privatized and it would harm those businesses. Never mind those businesses harm people

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[–] [email protected] 173 points 7 hours ago (16 children)

I think I'll skip paying taxes this year, my religion states I cannot support terrorist groups.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

That's fine. I wasn't planning to pay taxes to a fascist government anyway.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 minutes ago (1 children)

Uh, if you live in the US and aren't super rich, then good luck with that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 minute ago

Change my withholding to $0 and go on about my life.

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