This Would Be Fun to Watch

[JohnH]

Or, in the words of Sen Mark Kirk to IRS Commisioner Shulman, "...this argument inside your shop should end in like an hour." Kirk is essentially saying that tax preparation is so easy the IRS should be able to make a quick decision on developing.a universal tax preparation software package that all taxpayers can utilize for free. And all these years I've been thinking tax preparation is sometimes, like, difficult.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/06/20/senators-urge-irs-to-provide-taxpayers-with-free-software

GIGO is still the rule, whether we're talking about tax preparation, computer use, or the minds of people elected to Congress. What planet do some of these folks come from?

[kpangelinan]

Dumb

$20-30 million to develope? I wonder who's back pocket he's in that is going to be the software developer....I bet it's someone who contributes to this guys campaign.

Besides, this idea is insane.....stupid. IMHO of course.

[Burke]

I rather liked the suggestion that every member of Congress be required to complete their own tax return. Voila! Instant simplification.

[kpangelinan]

I rather liked the suggestion that every member of Congress be required to complete their own tax return. Voila! Instant simplification.

I definitely like that one!!!! I'd love to have one of those guys get audited and such!

[Super Mom]

I rather liked the suggestion that every member of Congress be required to complete their own tax return. Voila! Instant simplification.

I love the idea, it could be a job requirement!!!

[Burke]

Of course, this would never happen. But, the chairman of Ways & Means could require his committee members to go through the exercise. If he had the guts.

[Jiggers]

One word missing....

I rather liked the suggestion that every member of Congress be required to complete their own tax return. Voila! Instant simplification.

You should have the word "accurately" just before the word "complete".

There is a difference.

Ask the treasury chief, and a few others...........

[dtlee]

I am sure many of us would enjoy being the return checker whose job it would be to reject the return as incorrect so that they could correct the return (over and over and over and over and over) until they got it right.

[Black Bart]

This Would Be Fun to Watch

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Or, in the words of Sen Mark Kirk to IRS Commisioner Shulman, "...this argument inside your shop should end in like an hour." Kirk is essentially saying that tax preparation is so easy the IRS should be able to make a quick decision on developing.a universal tax preparation software package that all taxpayers can utilize for free. And all these years I've been thinking tax preparation is sometimes, like, difficult.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/was...-free-software

GIGO is still the rule, whether we're talking about tax preparation, computer use, or the minds of people elected to Congress. What planet do some of these folks come from?

"Why is this so hard?" asks...Sen. Durbin...wants IRS drawing up software like TurboTax and offering it free... "We can eliminate the middle man,"...

...Sen. Kirk...His idea: "...an American doesn't pay TurboTax...H&R Block...simply logs onto IRS website, fills out their taxes...accurate, complete...software handling all complexity...time complying with federal law drops like a rock."

Shulman: "I don't think it's quite that simple..." (had to be thinking "What dolts! These guys are senators? Heaven help us.")

He might just as well have suggested the senators create software/website allowing taxpayers to introduce, debate, and vote directly on congressional bills via the internet; thereby "cutting out the middleman" and doing away with their jobs (probably couldn't do much worse).

As for wrapping everything up within an hour, I'll bet the senators spent that much time just for coffee outside the hearing room, never mind matters of substance and the talkathons inside (introductions, opening statements, 5-minutes per member question and answer sessions, analysis, and closing statements).

[Gary2]

$20-30 million to develope? I wonder who's back pocket he's in that is going to be the software developer....I bet it's someone who contributes to this guys campaign.

Maybe it's $5M for the development team, over two years, and $15M for three and a half months support staff to answer all the questions and complaints when it goes live.