Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Monday April 29 2019, @04:38AM   Printer-friendly
from the death-and-taxes dept.

Ok Google, please ignore this free tax filing code so we can keep on screwing America: TurboTax and H&R Block find robots.txt to hide in plain sight

The United States' tax-filing software industry actively prevents search engines from discovering their free-filing versions, it has been discovered, adding further criticism to an industry that drives Americans toward unnecessary paid-for products.

Internet users, incensed at efforts by the tax filing software market to legally lock-in their business model, have been digging into the actions of Intuit and competitors including H&R Block and discovered that the webpages for their free tax filing software has code to stop search engines like Google from linking to or indexing to it. It is, of course the robots.txt file that is used by webmasters to indicate where it doesn't want search engine robots to look. Typically this is used to stop search engines from accidentally gathering confidential information. It is a sort of honor system that has been in place since the early days of the internet.

[...] The IRS has agreed not to develop free software for its own systems so long as the software industry offers free versions for anyone earning under $66,000 a year or anyone receiving an income tax credit. Over time however, the power dynamic between the IRS – which has increasingly been starved of funds – and the software industry – which has grown rich from charging tens of millions of Americans every year to navigate the overly complex US tax system - has flipped.

That dynamic blew up earlier this year when it was revealed that a tax reform bill due to become law made it illegal for the IRS to develop software for its own systems. Previously it had been a voluntary agreement that the IRS was in charge of. Following a public outcry, the IRS's general counsel said that his understanding of the new law is that the IRS can terminate the entire Free-File system and design its own direct-file product if its provides 12 months' notice. But that assurance has failed to mollify critics who say the software tail has started wagging the tax dog.

[...] Intuit uses the name "free" and also loads its non-free product websites with SEO terms that someone looking to file for free will type in, in order to direct people to paid-for editions. Unless you land on the right webpage – the one for Free File – there is literally no way to find the TurboTax free edition; it will always loop back to a paid-for version. Which is why Intuit and TurboTax go to such lengths to stop people from landing on the Free File versions of their software.

Read TFA if you want to build up some rage.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday April 29 2019, @11:30PM (12 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Monday April 29 2019, @11:30PM (#836444) Journal

    Sorry, it's still up to the voters to play along. The choice is still, and always has been theirs.

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
  • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday April 30 2019, @12:03AM (11 children)

    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Tuesday April 30 2019, @12:03AM (#836452)

    The article is about how the tax industry uses lobbying to have laws made to enrich themselves at the expense of the citizenry.

    What choice?

    • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday April 30 2019, @06:04AM (10 children)

      by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday April 30 2019, @06:04AM (#836553) Journal

      What choice?

      The voters have a choice (more like an obligation) to stop reelecting politicians that take bribes from lobbyists. Is it really so complicated to you people?

      --
      La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
      • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday May 01 2019, @01:09AM (9 children)

        by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @01:09AM (#836999)

        The voters have a choice (more like an obligation) to stop reelecting politicians that take bribes from lobbyists.

        If by that you mean they should stop electing Democrats and Republicans then I wonder why it has not happened over the last 150 years or so?

        Is it really so complicated to you people?

        Not to me it's not, but then I live in country that destroys political parties on a fairly regular basis. That helps keep them under control.

        I suspect your expectation that the voters can do the same in the US is optimistic.

        • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday May 01 2019, @01:45AM (8 children)

          by fustakrakich (6150) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @01:45AM (#837013) Journal

          If by that you mean they should stop electing Democrats and Republicans then I wonder why it has not happened over the last 150 years or so?

          Voters' choice... There's just nothing else to say about it. If they were to choose something else, they would have something else, but they have convinced themselves that there is nothing else. They did it to themselves. They choose to believe the lies. It always boils down to the person's personal choice, to play along, go out on their own, whatever they want to do. Either way, the government is their reflection.

          --
          La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
          • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday May 01 2019, @02:21AM (7 children)

            by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @02:21AM (#837031)

            If that's the case why does my parliament have 5 parties in it?

            Why does the UK parliament have 8? They also have first past the post voting, the worst voting system. (For the voters anyway. political parties love it)

            I think you guys have just done a similar thing to what the USSR did in Eastern Europe after WWII, except no-one gets thrown in jail for starting a new political party.

            I mean you're free to start one, and you're free to campaign for votes, but you're not free to actually win any seats in any of the various governing bodies anywhere.

            Am I missing something? 50 states, plus the Feds, each with 2 houses plus the executive, and every single one packed with Republicans and Democrats, with not a single third party anywhere.

            I don't think the voters have anything like the freedom you think they have.

            • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday May 01 2019, @02:43AM (6 children)

              by fustakrakich (6150) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @02:43AM (#837036) Journal

              Because that's what they are accustomed to. They allow themselves to be convinced there's too much to lose by rocking the boat.. This is primary psychology, not political at all. It is still on the voters to get their shit together.

              I mean you're free to start one, and you're free to campaign for votes, but you're not free to actually win any seats in any of the various governing bodies anywhere.

              Don't know about elsewhere, but in the US, if you win the votes, you win the seat. Even if your name isn't on the ballot. A write in with sufficient votes can win. The money can't do that, doesn't matter how much is spent.

              --
              La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
              • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday May 01 2019, @08:10AM (5 children)

                by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @08:10AM (#837136)

                ...but in the US, if you win the votes, you win the seat.

                If that is the case, why is everyone either a Democrat or a Republican?

                Because that's what they are accustomed to? I'm not buying it. Not enough of you want something new? Not even 10%?

                No, you have the illusion of choice.

                • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday May 01 2019, @03:34PM (4 children)

                  by fustakrakich (6150) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @03:34PM (#837311) Journal

                  Because that's what they are accustomed to? I'm not buying it.

                  Sorry, facts are facts. Your denial is exactly my point. It's better for the ego to pass blame. And peer pressure is a thing.

                  --
                  La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
                  • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday May 01 2019, @08:50PM (3 children)

                    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @08:50PM (#837535)

                    Your facts seem more like opinions, but fine, if you're of the view that you and your countrymen could elect third parties, but choose not to that's none of my business.

                    I will go back to figuring out which of the 5 or 6 party candidates I will vote for in our next election.

                    Coalition governments are great.

                    • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday May 01 2019, @10:41PM (2 children)

                      by fustakrakich (6150) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @10:41PM (#837577) Journal

                      Your facts seem more like opinions

                      How so? Not a single person is able point out anything intractable. All choices are personal, regardless of claimed motivation. The choice is still theirs to make. There is nothing to argue about. It's silly to be even discussing it. We know what the problem is and we can fix it like flipping a switch. All difficulties come from entirely within.

                      I will go back to figuring out which of the 5 or 6 party candidates I will vote for in our next election.

                      Well, see that's what I already do. There are more than two parties on the American ballots too. I simply ignore the republican/democrats and work with what's left. I can't fret over what other people do. But I will respond to their silly complaints about how mine is a "wasted vote". I say theirs is. That's all that I'm doing.

                      And coalitions? Not always so good. I've seen the Greens hook up with some pretty unsavory cohorts to get a win. That can only mean they owe favors to somebody that does not represent the people that voted for the Greens. Their are many other examples, but they stick out more when they exhibit their righteous indignation over some injustice. Coalitions are entangled alliances, requiring the most egregious comprises (clean up the environment, put catalytic converters on the state crematoriums). Europe is every bit as messy as the US, more so... And Canada? There's an amusing bunch. I hope you're not using them as an example of anything special.

                      If people can't make majority rule function properly, they can still only blame themselves, read Lord of the Flies, and then it's time to dream up something else a bit more robust. But they are on their own, stranded on a very big island (Surf's up!). There is just no other way. That's not an opinion, it's just plain old nature.

                      --
                      La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
                      • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday May 01 2019, @11:23PM (1 child)

                        by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @11:23PM (#837594)

                        How so? Not a single person is able point out anything intractable.

                        I have several times in this very discussion. If it were possible for a third party to win, why does it never happen? Because the Republicans and the Democrats prevent it from happening.

                        You guys have a lot of elections, in some places you even elect your police chiefs, but nobody outside the two parties ever wins.

                        And coalitions? Not always so good. I've seen the Greens hook up with some pretty unsavory cohorts to get a win.

                        Not in the US you haven't. I had a quick look at their Wikipedia entry, and they hold exactly 0 seats.

                        They have never won anything, so I'm not how you think they have had a win.

                        Illusion of choice.

                        • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday May 01 2019, @11:37PM

                          by fustakrakich (6150) on Wednesday May 01 2019, @11:37PM (#837597) Journal

                          Because the Republicans and the Democrats prevent it from happening.

                          Wrong! It's because people aren't voting for them. Your claim of fraud is meaningless, unless you believe (and I can too) the actual count was compromised. If not, then you can deny all you want, but the simple fact is right there in the official results. To win the seat you have to win the count. At this point you have lost me. I don't know what you want. All the suffering you describe is self inflicted. Your illusion of an "illusion" is your own creation. The solution is as simple as changing the channel.

                          --
                          La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..