Taxes
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You can try the IRS alternative to Turbo Tax in 12 states today
The IRS has released a pilot program called Direct File that gives users free, step-by-step instructions for filing their taxes.
Congressional report condemns tax prep companies for sending data to Meta, Google
A Congressional investigation concluded that several tax prep providers shared sensitive filing data with Meta and Google. It follows a 2022 report from The Markup highlighting the practice in which TaxSlayer, H&R Block and TaxAct used Meta’s Pixel tracking tool to harvest info like filing status, approximate adjusted gross income, refund amount, names of dependents and which text-entry fields users clicked on. Meta is already facing a lawsuit connected with the initial reporting.
The IRS reportedly has a free TurboTax alternative in the works
A test of the project may offer a free alternative to Turbotax as soon as next year.
Tesla's five-seat Model Y and other EVs now qualify for the new $7,500 federal tax credit
More versions of Tesla's Model Y and four other EVs now qualify for the new $7,500 federal tax credit thanks to the Treasury.
Security flaw in Florida tax website exposed filers' sensitive data
Florida's tax website had a bug that exposed filing data for residents, including their Social Security numbers.
Tax prep websites have been sending sensitive financial data to Facebook
Tax websites like H&R Block have been sending users' sensitive financial data to Facebook, including incomes.
G20 deal raises the minimum tax rate for big tech companies
G20 leaders have greenlit a deal that would set a global minimum tax rate of 15 percent for large companies, including big tech firms.
G7 deal will likely raise taxes for tech giants like Apple and Google
G7 countries have reached a deal that will likely increase taxes for tech giants like Apple, Amazon and Google.
EU court says Amazon won't have to pay its $300 million tax bill
Amazon has won an EU appeal after being hit with a €250 million ($303 million) tax bill by the European Commission in 2017.
Facebook is winding down some of its Irish tax havens
Facebook is winding down some of the Irish companies it used to avoid paying taxes in the US, UK and elsewhere.
Apple's Irish tax deal will be scrutinized by Europe's highest court
The European Commission refuses to back down in its long-running legal battle against Apple and the Irish government’s tax arrangements. Today, the executive branch of the European Union announced that it would appeal a decision granted by the General Court in July that sided with the juggernaut technology company. The Commission believes that the Court “made a number of errors of law” and wants the case re-examined by the European Court of Justice — the highest form of scrutiny in the EU.
The Nintendo Switch goes on sale in Brazil on September 18th
Since 2015, consumers in Brazil have had to either import Nintendo products or buy them from a reseller.
Nintendo is bringing the Switch to Brazil at last
It pulled out of the country in 2015 due to high import tariffs.
UK to levy additional tax on big tech companies beginning April 1st
The UK's two percent tax on large, multinational tech companies goes into effect on April 1st. As much as big tech companies in the US may object, this is not an April Fools' Day joke. Unsurprisingly, the US government strongly objects.
TurboTax maker Intuit buys Credit Karma to corner personal financial data
Intuit wants to manage more of your financial data. The TurboTax developer has bought Credit Karma, best known for helping people track and control their credit, for $7.1 billion in cash and stock. It intends to use Credit Karma to craft a "personalized financial assistant" that provides insights into your money and helps you "find the right financial products." It might point you to a new credit card or a higher-yield savings account, for instance.
The IRS won't ask you to report 'Fortnite' V-Bucks on tax returns
Don't worry, you won't have to factor in-game currency into your taxes... at least, not yet. The IRS has removed a guideline (cached here) from October that treated Fortnite's V-Bucks, Roblox's Robux and other in-game currencies with real monetary value as "convertible" currency that could be subject to federal taxes. In a follow-up, IRS Chief Counsel Michael Desmond confirmed to CNN Business that including in-game money was an error. The updated section now focuses on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, so you can likely rest easy if you received a V-Bucks gift card last year.
Tax prep companies can’t hide their free filing software from Google anymore
This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced changes that will hopefully make it less stressful for a lot of Americans to file their taxes in 2020. In an addendum to the almost 20-year-old Free File agreement, the agency has put new protections in place to make it easier for Americans to file their taxes for free.
Uber has to pay New Jersey nearly $650 million in employment taxes
Uber may insist that its drivers are contractors and not employees, but New Jersey isn't buying that argument. The state's labor department has slapped Uber and its Rasier subsidiary with a nearly $650 million bill for overdue unemployment and disability insurance taxes from the past four years, arguing that the ridesharing firm misclassified drivers. About $523 million of that is actual taxes, while up to $119 million is due in interest and penalties. Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said this was an example of the administration "cracking down on employee misclassification" and that there was "no reason" on-demand workers couldn't be treated like other flexible staff.
G20 leaders will discuss raising taxes for big tech firms next week
For years, European countries have been grappling with how to get big tech firms to pay more taxes. They've proposed interim taxes on revenues, suggested global minimum taxes and slapped companies with hefty fines. We may be getting closer to a solution. Next week, G20 finance ministers are expected to discuss a proposed tax overhaul that would target big multinational firms, including Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook.
Bill Gates (still) doesn't think regulators should break up Big Tech
Bill Gates is unsurprisingly very familiar with antitrust regulations of large tech companies, so how does he feel about the US government's ongoing competition review? He's not a fan -- though not necessarily for the reasons you might think. The former Microsoft CEO told Bloomberg in an interview that it was better to correct the specific practices than to break the companies up. If you split them, you now have two companies "doing the bad thing," he said. He wasn't completely averse to the concept, but there were a "narrow" set of circumstances where it would work.