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Age discrimination

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Dmhgone5150

New member
The IRS partners with online tax preparation sites for free efile.However, many of these offers have stipulations based on age. For example, Taxslayer will let you file for free if you are under 51. Some companies are free if you are under 65 while other companies have no age requiremen. How is this legal? The cited examples can be found here on the IRS site. https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/browse-all-offers
 


quincy

Senior Member
You probably can blame Intuit and Free File Alliance for their major lobbying efforts that have led to “free file” agreements with the IRS that have terms favorable to the large tax preparation firms.

Age discrimination is only one of many problems noted with free file that needs addressing.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
The IRS partners with online tax preparation sites for free efile.However, many of these offers have stipulations based on age. For example, Taxslayer will let you file for free if you are under 51. Some companies are free if you are under 65 while other companies have no age requiremen. How is this legal? The cited examples can be found here on the IRS site. https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/browse-all-offers
Because they are businesses, in the business of making a profit. The fact that they are willing to do some tax returns as a public service, doesn't mean that they are willing or able to do all tax returns for free. They are free to set their own limits as to which ones they will do for free.
 

Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
How is this legal?
Because no federal law prohibits those age restrictions. Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees on the basis of age. But federal law does NOT prohibit businesses from discriminating among their customers by age.

As for why some tax prep firms limit the free filing service for older folks, one the of the reasons is that the IRS sponsors a more comprehensive assistance program called Tax Counseling for the Elderly in which trained personnel actively prepare returns for elderly persons for free. Since that service is available to help elderly people, there is less need to provide free filing services for them.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Following is a link to interesting information on the establishment of “free file” by tax preparation companies, established to prevent the IRS from offering free tax filing for all Americans as was once being considered. This information was published in 2019 by ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism network.

https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free

All Free File Program tax preparer members agree to not charge eligible taxpayers anything to prepare and file their returns, and you should not be asked to buy any products or services in order to have your tax return prepared.
 

JcBailey

New member
Following is a link to interesting information on the establishment of “free file” by tax preparation companies, established to prevent the IRS from offering free tax filing for all Americans as was once being considered. This information was published in 2019 by ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism network.

https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free

All Free File Program tax preparer members agree to not charge eligible taxpayers anything to prepare and file their returns, and you should not be asked to buy any products or services in order to have your tax return prepared.
Thank you for sharing this article. Taxation is theft!
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
Because no federal law prohibits those age restrictions. Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees on the basis of age. But federal law does NOT prohibit businesses from discriminating among their customers by age.

As for why some tax prep firms limit the free filing service for older folks, one the of the reasons is that the IRS sponsors a more comprehensive assistance program called Tax Counseling for the Elderly in which trained personnel actively prepare returns for elderly persons for free. Since that service is available to help elderly people, there is less need to provide free filing services for them.
I will also point out that many elderly people have fairly complicated tax returns due to investments and other issues. The VITA volunteers and others involved in the free filing won't do those types of returns at all.
 

Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
Taxation is theft!
While few people like paying taxes, it is hardly theft. After all, the U.S. Constitution expressly gives the power to Congress to "lay and collect taxes". US Const. Art.1 § 8 ¶ 1. There are certain things we need government to do, and government needs the money to pay for it.
 

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