Deceptive Click Buttons

[firstfrost]

Federal income tax filled out - my first as Married Filing Jointly. It definitely helped this time around, what with harrock being a starving writer for most of last year. I am, however, irritated by the amount by which both the IRS and the Mass DOR push efiling (quick refunds! Easy! Fast! Almost free!) but the extent to which it is not free.

In this case, we used the "free" version that the IRS links to, which is free for federal but not for state, if you do not accidentally click on any of the dozen recurring "For more information about this feature, click here" buttons which take you to the deluxe non-free version, which does not really mention that it's the non-free version until the time comes to submit it.

I suppose they need to make their money somehow, but I disapprove of them trying to do it by annoying me into not wanting to go back and click "no, I have no depreciation on the 'business' I seem to be because I did some consulting" fifteen times.

It's not like I object to paying for software, really. But I don't like the combination of it being something that is free on paper, and the strong advertisement by the government to efile - it saves them tons of money, that's why they push it. I'm sure they could just give one of these places a federal grant and everyone would be happy.

Comments

[rifmeister.livejournal.com]

And *that* is why I do my taxes by hand.
Except for state, which I telefile.

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

You can't telefile if you changed from single to married. Darn them.

[twe.livejournal.com]

I do mine by hand too, but then mine are pretty straightforward.

[mijven.livejournal.com]

Yet another reason to adore my inlaws. I am now related to an accountant who optimizes with tax forms the way I do with character sheets.

But IKWYM (sorta.) I'm quite miffed at the fact that EZ Pass (you know, that toll thing) has a monthly fee. We don't use it enough to justify the fee. (As in, we use it if we travel up or down the coast or into the city. By the end of this month, that'll be 3 times this year - but this has been a heavy travel year for us so far.) I don't know if other places do this, but NJ now charges because the entire thing got behind schedule and overbudget. Nonetheless, I just don't get why something that saves them time/expenses should incur an additional fee from me. I'm just a grump I guess.

Nothing to do with taxes

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Massachusetts FastLane doesn't have a monthly fee (although it does have a fee to get the transponder). So you can check and see if that would be cheaper for you -- they're compatible (I love driving from here to DC without paying a cash toll)