This seems like an easy thing to get going, starting with form 1040, that would be fun and save Americans millions in tax preparation fees. Contributors could keep the code up to date with changes in the tax code.
Taxes aren't fun or sexy. The users will invariably include a lot of "non-technical" people, which is not going to be worth dealing with for free. Some of them might even try to sue you if there's a bug. A lot of open source software is written by students, retirees, unemployed people, who don't always work or care much about taxes. Pretty much every country has different rules, and I'm sure the US is not unique in having a multilayered system of federal/state and possibly city taxes, so making something widely usable would require a ton of work from people in many regions. Tax rules can also change from year-to-year, placing additional burdens on unpaid maintainers and contributers. Honestly, this is one area where paid software is the best solution if the government is not willing to write their own.
Sort of exists already, but not open source. The real benefit to stuff like TurboTax and HR Block is that they provide professional audit representation as well as answer questions when filing, which a FOSS solution would be hard pressed to do.<p><a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free" rel="nofollow">https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-f...</a>
It's doable. I've built some very large scale tax software products in past roles, and have a POV and tons of subject matter expertise on this. The "tax content" issue is solvable, and AI can probably make this easier. I don't have capacity to lead this right now, but would happily contribute.
What are the liabilities?<p>I remember a CBS article from decades ago. CBS submitted the same tax information to something like nine entities, including the IRS. One or two of them got it right. The IRS was NOT one that got it right.<p>The law is so complicated that the Ultimate Authority can't get it right?!<p>What are the Preparers' civil and criminal liabilities for getting it wrong?<p>What are the liabilities if it is true that the Amendment authorizing the Income Tax was not legally ratified? There are claims enforcement of the Income Tax is a felony committed under "color of law".<p>Would that make tax preparation "aiding and abetting"?<p>If my sources are correct, only taxpayers are liable for income tax. The definition of a Taxpayer is anyone who signs a 1040 Form and/or anyone with income from outside the United States.<p>It's been taken to court. The defendant said, "I'm happy to pay, just show me the regulations where it says I owe." He said show me the links of the law between the Constitution the statute that says I owe. The government ignored what his request. The jury did not.<p>The foreman of that jury spoke to the National Press Club ... forty years-ago? Marsha Brooks(?) was her name, I think. She explained how the jury decided that juries were there to enforce the law; the defendant made a reasonable request; the prosecutors ignored it. Repeated requests to the judge for a copy of the law or just the statute number of the law, got nothing from the Court except "You have the information necessary for making a decision."<p>They acquitted.<p>Government did not appeal.<p>The video of the speech to the National Press Club is, however, no longer available easily available. It used to be a quality recording.<p>The last time I found it is only available from Russia... excuse me... Muscovy, and the recording quality sucked.<p>No thank you. Please do. I'd love it if someone did. But I want nothing to do with.<p>(LOL (but softly). A GOOD open source tax preparation program sounds like an excellent project for Muscovian hackers; so rife with irreconcilable mores - to exercise the American freedom of speech for the purpose of weakening the American Government by helping the American People to understand and exercise rights that would get a Muscovite poisoned, imprisoned, or disappeared. Wow.)<p>Someone should write a book about this.<p>Oh, Red Benson already did. <a href="https://thelawthatneverwas.com/" rel="nofollow">https://thelawthatneverwas.com/</a>