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] 11 points 40 minutes ago

I love it when Nazi African fascists take control of the American monetary system.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Arrest his ass and lock him away for life!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 45 minutes ago

We can buy rope at Home Depot.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 39 minutes ago (1 children)

I hate the american tax system. Not more than wiccans, but still a whole lot. Especially since I just read of a bunch of comments saying how great their tax filing is... Musky needs to be arrested, he's obviously destroying services that make our lives as citizens easier. That's what the federal government should be, easy and comprehensive to citizens and cold and mean to people like El(t)on musk

[–] [email protected] 4 points 24 minutes ago* (last edited 24 minutes ago)

Wiccans? Like, pagans? What do you have against them? Most I have met have been pretty chill. I get hating all religions, but weird little pagans are near the bottom for me as long as they are not hurting anyone.

As for the rest, fuck Elon and indeed, our tax system is never in our favor. Just rich assholes and businesses that never seem to have to pay anything.

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

Deport this asshole back to South Africa

[–] [email protected] 6 points 44 minutes ago

Unfortunately, he's now an American citizen. Fortunately, we have treason charges for this kind of thing :).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 minutes ago* (last edited 10 minutes ago)

i always just look up this year's 1040 and just fill it out myself. easy finances though...

been meaning to get an accountant this year. we'll still do paper filing if e-filing is "deleted" lol

[–] [email protected] 1 points 34 minutes ago

I really don't know why, but every time I see Space Karen trying to be such a sooper kewl edgelord, I think of this clip...that and the very end of the movie, too....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAjTjfipDto

[–] [email protected] 22 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Really increasing efficiency there. You know... efficiency aside, making it easier to file taxes is one of the very few things that can actually make more money!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 41 minutes ago

They don't want the government to take in more money. They just want it to cost less (and consequently do less).

[–] [email protected] 29 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (5 children)

A right-wing MAGA influencer called the "direct file" tax program a "far left /.../

Here in Estonia, the castle of "far left" in Europe (shh, don't spoil the joke, comrades, we want them to think we're dark red here ;) )...

...for something like 15 years already, you file your taxes like this:

  • some day in February, your internet bank reminds you to send a report to the tax office
  • you click "send"
  • some day in February, you read in a newspaper that "you can file your taxes now"
  • you open up emta.ee, log in with your ID card, and see a pre-filled declaration
  • if you're lucky (99% are), it's been filled correctly and you click "confirm", otherwise you click "edit"
  • you get to see if you have returns or need to pay extra
  • if you have returns, you can choose if you want the money (typically if it's big, you do) or want to donate the small change to a non-profit

It typically takes about 15 minutes.

If it's a bad year and the automatically filled declaration was incorrect, things will differ of course - then you wait until next winter for a court to resolve the dispute. If you can write a complaint in legalese, it costs about 20 €, but if you need a lawyer, you shell out real money. I've had a bad year once. Most people never have one.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 48 minutes ago

It's basically the same thing in Sweden, but in the rare chance that the tax agency makes a mistake, it's usually resolved before summertime without any court issues.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 47 minutes ago

Doing it this way would cost the IRS less than the way our current system runs.

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

In Hungary, the country of the far left Orbán quasi-dictatorship, the tax filing process is if you are an employee, in May you go to the website and click okay if you're happy with it. If you forget, it's just an implied acceptance of what you've seen, so most people never do anything and some don't even know how to.

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

Does everyone have to file taxes? In the UK, unless you're renting a property or otherwise have some income on the side like that, you don't file taxes at all, it's just all done automatically.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 24 minutes ago

Most everyone in the US files. Even if the gov withheld taxes from your payroll you still file. The gov knows how much you made, now you have to arrive at the same number or you can get fined if you claim more and they catch you in an audit.

What's funny is, on the tax form there's a field asking if you got money from illegal activity like selling drugs.....they expect you to declare it and pay the percentage.... The ultimate gov will look the other way as long as they get their cut.

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

American here, I didn't work this year (stay at home parent) and we only need to file my wife's taxes. If it goes smoothly it'll take an hour, minimum, and we're usually unsure if we filed it all out correctly...

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Is he heavily invested in TurboTax or something?

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

He's invested in suffering and making a profit. So yes.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 7 hours ago (4 children)

Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives

[–] [email protected] 0 points 56 minutes ago

Whats your plan to make that happen?

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

I actually disagree with this. I believe its their fear that is driving them. Fear of losing money, wealth, and power. Fear of death and being 'controlled' by the status quo.

Nothing will meaningful improve until the rich put down their fears and begin thinking rationally and with compassion for humanity.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 43 minutes ago

I'm sure they'll come around if we let them know.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

How? If things get too hot here, they'll just move to another country. Oh... I see now. But then that's just passing our problems onto someone else like those South Africa bastards did.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

There shouldn't be any place on earth where it is safe to be absurdly rich.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago

I’d pay more taxes to fund a team of rich hunters.

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

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

[–] [email protected] 67 points 8 hours ago (6 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] 11 points 5 hours ago

Oh, you see, you fucked up like... three words into your comment

[–] [email protected] 28 points 7 hours 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] 8 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours 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

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[–] [email protected] 75 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

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

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 hours 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] 89 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (8 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] 2 points 3 hours ago

It's just a poorly constructed lie to funnel more money to their corporate masters.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 8 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] 72 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 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] 9 points 7 hours ago

They're against the slaves not using TurboTax.

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[–] [email protected] 71 points 11 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 145 points 13 hours ago (13 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] 16 points 9 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.

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[–] [email protected] 211 points 14 hours ago (21 children)

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

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

You probably already pay taxes. Filing your taxes usually just helps dial in if you paid a bit too much or too little.

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