CalFile explained

CalFile is the current tax preparation program/service of the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB).

ReadyReturn is the former tax preparation program initiated by the FTB as a pilot in 2005,[1] tax returns for the 2004 tax year, based on their 2003 tax data, went out to 51,850 taxpayers receiving a "pre-populated"[2] form based on financial information reported to the FTB by employers and banks. Recipients were single, no-dependents, standard-deduction, only-wage-income, one-employer, with a maximum adjusted gross income of $139,917.[3] [4] The purpose of ReadyReturn was to make it easier for taxpayers to file their returns, and to make the filing process more accurate and faster.[5]

CalFile and ReadyReturn at one point coexisted for different taxpayer categories.[6] [7] In 2015, ReadyReturn's best features were included in CalFile, and ReadyReturn was no longer a separate program.[8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

ReadyReturn

Background

More than 20 other countries implement prepopulated returns for some of their taxpayers.[13] Denmark began a prefilled return program in 1988, and has an 80-percent participation rate. Chile, Finland, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden have similar programs available to most taxpayers. Singapore, South Africa, Spain, and Turkey have similar programs available to at least 30 percent of taxpayers. Australia, Estonia, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, and Poland have similar programs available and are used by some taxpayers.[13] [14] [15]

In the 1990s, Michigan offered return-free filing but dropped the program due to lack of participation, Louisiana planned but dropped implementation due to Y2K problems,[16] and Minnesota proposed but did not enact return-free filing.[17]

In March 2017, the effort to establish ReadyReturn in California was the subject of an episode of NPR's Planet Money podcast.[18]

Origins

In 2004, the FTB staffers told Joseph Bankman,[19] a leading scholar in the field of tax law, a clinical psychologist,[20] and professor of law and business at Stanford Law School, that they realized that they had all the data they needed to fill out Californians' tax returns for millions of Californians whose entire income came from one job.

In 2005,[21] Joseph Bankman worked with the state of California to create ReadyReturn, a pilot study with a completed tax return prepared by the state (not an individual or tax professional) that was available to single, no-dependant, standard-deduction, one-employer, wages-only taxpayers for the 2005 filing season.[22]

When the FTB launched the ReadyReturn website, Intuit sued and lobbied California legislators to kill the program.[23] [24] [25]

Methodology

In the pilot, taxpayers were allowed to file the return as given to them, to modify and then file it, or to ignore it and file however they normally would.[26] Of the 50,000 participants in the pilot, 38,500 chose to ignore the return and approximately 11,500 filed it.[27] A survey of pilot participants found more than 90 percent said they saved time using ReadyReturn and that it was more convenient than the system they had used previously. 99 percent said they would use it again the next year.[28] 0.3 percent of ReadyReturn filings contained errors versus 3.1 percent of non-ReadyReturn filings.[29]

Opposition

Between 2001 and 2010, Intuit Inc., maker of the tax-preparation software TurboTax, spent more than $1.7 million (equivalent to $ in) on lobbying in an attempt to kill ReadyReturn.[30] [31] [32] [33] [6] A bill to provide explicit statutory authorization for ReadyReturn and to make the program permanent died without a vote in the 2006 session of the California State Legislature.[34] [35] [36] [37] California State Controller Steve Westly said he was stunned by the response from taxpayers who used the program as part of the pilot project, about 96 percent of whom said it is a service government should provide, and one they would use again,

"I absolutely have come to believe that ReadyReturn is the right thing to do".
—California Controller, Steve Westly[38]

No ReadyReturn forms were used for the 2006 tax year,[39] but the FTB revived it on their own for the 2007 tax year, expanding it to cover one million Californians.[40] [38] [41]

Reception

In 2012, 88,652 California taxpayers used the system, and, with paper returns costing more than seven times a ReadyReturn return to process, it saved the state an estimated $125,000.[42] 99 percent stated they were satisfied with ReadyReturn, 97 percent stated this is the type of service government should provide, 96 percent stated it was more convenient than how they filed in the past, 95 percent stated it saved them time, and 98 percent stated they would use it again.[43] [42] [44] [45] [46] [47]

CalFile

CalFile[48] is the current free tax preparation program, initiated by the FTB, to file state tax returns online directly to the FTB.[49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] It is available to single users with incomes under $203,341 and married users with incomes under $406,687[56] [57] and takes 20 minutes to complete a return for most users,[58] [59] with direct deposit refunds usually within 7 to 10 days.[60]

History

CalFile became available in 2003.[61] [62] In 2011, 6.4 million filers were eligible.[54] Some features of ReadyReturn are now part of CalFile.[63] [64] [65]

Economics

Dennis J. Ventry Jr. professor at UC Davis School of Law, who specializes in tax policy and legal ethics, describes it as a "a reliable, voluntary, safe and free way to calculate and file [...] taxes".[33] The FTB says CalFile annually saves taxpayers somewhere between $4 million and $10 million in tax preparation fees, and the state of California saves approximately $500,000 in digitization overhead and administrative costs.[66] [67]

Opposition

CalFile has faced lobbying campaigns by market competitors in private tax-preparing software like Intuit. These lobbying campaigns have dissuaded the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commissioner from implementing a free online federal tax preparation program.[68] ProPublica notes that Intuit's product TurboTax "rests on a shaky foundation, one that could collapse overnight if the US government did what most wealthy countries[69] did long ago and made tax filing simple and free for most citizens".[70] [71] [72]

External links

ReadyReturn
CalFile
Academic

Notes and References

  1. Crushing Competition. . Wired. May 1, 2006. www.wired.com.
  2. Web site: Why filing taxes isn't easy. Joseph. Bankman. Daniel. Hemel. Dennis. Ventry. The Agenda.
  3. Web site: State program fills in tax forms for simple returns. April 14, 2006.
  4. News: Small. Julie. California's ReadyReturn reduces taxpayer angst for a small number. 25 December 2011. KPCC. 13 April 2010.
  5. Book: Mikesell, John L.. Fiscal Administration: Analysis and Applications for the Public Sector, Eight Edition. Wadsworth. 2010. 978-0-495-79582-7. Boston, Massachusetts. 366.
  6. Ventry, Dennis J. Jr. Intuit’s Nine Lies Kill State E-Filing Programs and Keep ‘Free’ File Alive
  7. Book: Wright, Kathleen K.. California Income Tax Manual 2008. February 5, 2008. CCH. 9780808018469. Google Books.
  8. Web site: 2019-12-08. Page not located. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20190315232927/https://www.ftb.ca.gov/readyreturn/. 2019-03-15. 2019-12-08. Franchise Tax Board.
  9. Web site: ReadyReturn. https://web.archive.org/web/20140502124659/https://www.ftb.ca.gov/READYRETURN/. dead. 2014-05-02. 2014-05-02. California Franchise Tax Board.
  10. Web site: Calfile: File directly with us — for free.. California Franchise Tax Board.
  11. Web site: Using California's free online programs for your taxes. February 1, 2008.
  12. Web site: California ~ Corporate, Personal Income Taxes: Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction, ReadyReturn Elimination, and More Discussed. Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting. The FTB now includes ReadyReturn’s best features in its other free online filing application, CalFile. Now that CalFile offers ReadyReturn features and more, the FTB no longer offers ReadyReturn. All 540 2EZ filers and many 540 filers qualify to use CalFile.. January 8, 2015.
  13. Book: Spreadsheet: Tax Administration 2013: Comparative Information on OECD and Other Advanced and Emerging Economies. 2013. 10.1787/9789264200814-en. 9789264200807.
  14. Book: Tax Administration 2013: Comparative Information on OECD and Other Advanced and Emerging Economies. 2013. 10.1787/9789264200814-en. 9789264200807.
  15. Web site: Fix The Tax Code Friday: Should IRS File Your Return For You?. Kelly Phillips. Erb. Forbes.
  16. John Rappa, Chief Analyst. States Allowing Income Tax “Return-Free Filing” Office of Legislative Research, Connecticut General Assembly January 24, 2017
  17. https://web.archive.org/web/20150918214515/http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/research_stats/revenue_analyses/2007_2008/revenue_analysis_2007_2008_senate_files_sf0665(hf0843)_1.pdf Analysis of SF 665 (Rest) and HF 843 (Benson)
  18. Web site: Episode 760: Tax Hero. 2021-05-16. NPR. en.
  19. Joseph Bankman “Mr. Smith Gets an Education: Why it is so Hard to get Easy Tax Filing.”
  20. Web site: It's tax time! Does it really need to be such a painful and anxiety-ridden process? .
  21. Web site: Opinion: Americans shouldn't be responsible for filing tax returns, the government should. John. Klotsche. March 30, 2017. washingtonpost.com.
  22. Book: Wright, Kathleen K.. California Income Tax Manual 2008. February 5, 2008. CCH. 9780808018469. Google Books.
  23. Will the Simple Return end April 15 tax agony?. April 15, 2008. Christian Science Monitor.
  24. Web site: Holtzblatt . Janet . December 2006 . Implications of Return-Free Tax Systems for the Structure of the Individual Income Tax . September 16, 2022 . Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
  25. Web site: Leubitz . Brian . June 6, 2006 . ReadyReturn Dies in the Assembly: Another Good Idea Laid to Rest in the California Legislature . September 16, 2022 . calitics . en-US.
  26. Web site: What was the experience with return-free filing in California?. Tax Policy Center.
  27. Book: Mikesell, John L.. Fiscal Administration: Analysis and Applications for the Public Sector, Eight Edition. 2010. Wadsworth. Boston, Massachusetts. 978-0-495-79582-7. 366.
  28. Book: Furman, Jason, Jason E. Bordoff. Path to prosperity: Hamilton Project ideas on income security, education and taxes. 2008. Brookings Institution Press . Washington DC . 978-0-8157-3013-2 . 300 .
  29. Book: University of New South Wales Australian Taxation Studies Program. International Tax Administration: Building Bridges. 2010. CCH Australia Ltd.. Sydney, Australia. 978-1-921701-29-0. 181.
  30. Web site: Turbo Tax maker Intuit, again, is mired in political turmoil. September 24, 2009. Capitol Weekly.
  31. Web site: Inside TurboTax's 20-Year Fight to Stop Americans From Filing Their Taxes for Free. Justin. Elliott. Paul. Kiel. ProPublica.
  32. Web site: How the Maker of TurboTax Fought Free, Simple Tax Filing. Liz. Day. ProPublica.
  33. News: Ventry. Dennis J.. Intuit's end-run. 25 December 2011. Los Angeles Times. 21 July 2010.
  34. Jim Sanders, Tax-Return Bill Dies in Assembly, Sacramento Bee, June 2, 2006, p. A4
  35. Web site: Bill Text - SB-1355 Income tax returns: ReadyReturn pilot program.. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
  36. Web site: Bill Text - AB-1046 Income tax: ReadyReturns.. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
  37. LA Zelenak. Justice Holmes, Ralph Kramden, and the Civic Virtues of a Tax Return Filing Requirement 2007.
  38. Web site: Second life for state tax program. December 5, 2006. Los Angeles Times.
  39. Web site: Calif. Tax Board Okays Return of ReadyReturn. December 6, 2006. Accounting Today.
  40. Book: Graetz, Michael J.. 100 Million Unnecessary Returns: A Simple, Fair, and Competitive Tax Plan for the United States. 2010. Yale University Press. New Haven, Connecticut. 978-0-300-16457-2. 49.
  41. Web site: SACRAMENTO: Tax board votes to extend ReadyReturn pilot program - Software firms, rights groups say move is illegal. Lynda. Gledhill. December 5, 2006. SFGate.
  42. https://web.archive.org/web/20131109225355/https://www.ftb.ca.gov/aboutFTB/tool_kits/ReadyReturn/2013_Tool_Kit.pdf ReadyReturn: Your California tax return ready and waiting for you
  43. Web site: Why doesn't TurboTax want your taxes to be simple?. March 1, 2016. Easy Money by Policygenius.
  44. Web site: The Stanford Professor Who Fought the Tax Lobby. Mayyasi. Alex. March 22, 2017. Priceonomics. April 24, 2017.
  45. Web site: How the Maker of TurboTax Fought Free, Simple Tax Filing. Liz. March 26, 2013. Mother Jones. Day.
  46. Web site: Taxes Made Tolerable. March 2013. Mother Jones. Robin. Mejia.
  47. Web site: Tax preparers lobby heavily against simple filing. 1440 G. Street NW. Washington. DC 20005 202-742-1520 Call with. Skype. April 15, 2013. Sunlight Foundation.
  48. Web site: File directly with us — for free.. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200119142326/https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/ways-to-file/online/calfile/index.asp . 2020-01-19 . California Franchise Tax Board.
  49. Web site: How to File a California State Tax Return Credit Karma Tax® . . 9 January 2021 . 12 October 2018 . E-file and pay for free with CalFile through the Franchise Tax Board’s website..
  50. Web site: California Franchise Tax Board - Case Studies . Human Factors International . FTB suspected that much of its site was underutilized – either because people couldn't find information or didn't know what to look for. FTB was especially eager to increase the usage of CalFile, its online filing feature. At the start of a major redesign, HFI performed an expert review and conducted usability testing on both the existing website and a new prototype. By getting usability analysis and recommendations early in the redesign process, FTB minimized the cost of implementing changes..
  51. News: Prah . Pamela M. . States' Free Online Tax Filing Services Going Underused . 9 January 2021 . . Stateline.org . . en . California is the only state that has a free online tool that generates the return itself; you don’t even have to enter the numbers. The program ReadyReturn pulls the information from wage reports and past tax returns and then completes a return online. The state touts ReadyReturn as an easy program that allows taxpayers to finish state tax returns in minutes, rather than hours.But not many Californians are using it. Of the 2 million taxpayers who were eligible to use ReadyReturn, just 89,000 used the program last year, according to the state Franchise Tax Board. Some 244,000 Californians used CalFile, the state’s other online tax program, which requires that taxpayers enter their own information, the board said. In a nutshell, ReadyReturn is for filers with under about $250,000 in income and CalFile is for wealthier taxpayers. ReadyReturn is not without controversy. It started out as a pilot in 2005, but faced opposition from the industry, particularly Intuit, producer of TurboTax..
  52. News: Bankman . Joseph . Hemel . Daniel . Ventry . Dennis . Joseph Bankman . Why filing taxes isn't easy . 9 January 2021 . The Agenda . POLITICO LLC . 2018-07-18 . en . California already offers a tool, CalFile, which allows residents to prepare and file state income taxes online at no cost. So why doesn’t the IRS do the same?.
  53. News: Klotsche . John . Americans shouldn't be responsible for filing tax returns — the government should . 9 January 2021 . Washington Post . 30 March 2017 . This idea for the tax agency to do the heavy-lifting computations is not new. California launched just such a program, ReadyReturn, in 2004 and recently took its best features and folded them into CalFile, the state’s easy-to-use service offering free e-filing. (John Klotsche is a partner and former chairman of the executive committee of the law firm Baker McKenzie. He was a senior adviser to the IRS Commissioner from 2003 to 2008.).
  54. News: State provides free completed tax returns for many . 9 January 2021 . . . 11 March 2011 . Last year, nearly 75 percent of all personal income tax returns were filed electronically. Key benefits of e-filing are that tax returns are more accurate; taxpayers get confirmation that FTB received their return, and the state saves paper-processing costs, the news release said. Taxpayers who file online and have their refunds issued by direct deposit often get refunds within one week. Paper-filed returns take longer, up to six to eight weeks depending on the time of year the return is filed.FTB offers CalFile, a free e-file program for more complicated tax filings. This online process takes about 15 to 30 minutes to complete. With CalFile, the taxpayer types in his or her tax information and e-files the return from FTB’s website. More than 6.4 million taxpayers can use CalFile. FTB also produced a short video describing the ease of using CalFile..
  55. News: Pender . Kathleen Pender . How to get your taxes done, or do them yourself, for free . 9 January 2021 . SFChronicle.com . 11 March 2017 . Most California taxpayers can file their state tax return online for free using CalFile, sponsored by the Franchise Tax Board, but last year only about 1 percent did. With a Basic CalFile account, you don’t need a PIN, but must enter everything manually. With a Deluxe Account, you will have to wait for a PIN in the mail, but you will be able to view and import data from last year’s tax return, California wage and withholding information, estimated payments and other data the state has on you. (If you get a PIN, don’t wait too long to activate your account.) The income limits to use CalFile are high — $182,459 for single and $364,923 for joint returns. But some things will exclude you, such as capital gains or losses, business income, rental income, distributions from a retirement account before age 59½ and Roth IRA conversions..
  56. Web site: CalFile Qualifications 2020 . FTB.ca.gov . 11 January 2021.
  57. Web site: Franchise Tax Board Announces State Tax Filing Simplified for Many; Other News for State Income Taxpayers . . 9 January 2021 . en . 3 January 2005 . The FTB offers free e-file services through its own CalFile service. CalFile is the FTB's no cost, direct-to-government e-file program. It is available to taxpayers who file the 540 2EZ, 540A, and to a limited degree the 540 long form. CalFile accepts income of nearly $280,000, itemized deductions, and some tax credits..
  58. News: State Franchise Tax Board announces start of tax return season . 9 January 2021 . . 15 January 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140117232319/https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/business/184-business-news/46548- . 2014-01-17 . en-gb . CalFile, a free, easy-to-use e-file option available to more than 6.4 million taxpayers. CalFile accepts taxpayers with income of up to $345,235, itemized deductions and some tax credits. CalFile guides taxpayers through a simple question-and-answer process that takes 15-30 minutes to complete. CalFile offers features such as email confirmation verifying that the return was filed and the ability to save information and return later to finish..
  59. News: 21 March 2019. California State Controller gives tax season advice -. KUSI. McKinnon Broadcasting. 9 January 2021. Most users can complete their return in about 20 minutes using FTB’s free CalFile program.
  60. News: FTB offers last-minute tips for taxpayers . 9 January 2021 . The Sun-Gazette Newspaper . 15 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150808032401/http://www.thesungazette.com/article/business/2015/04/15/ftb-offers-last-minute-tips-for-taxpayers/ . 2015-08-08 . With tax day now upon us – Wednesday, April 15 – the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) offers tips for taxpayers to save time and money. “This can be a stressful time of year for taxpayers, but they should rest assured that free help is available,” said FTB Chair and State Controller Betty T. Yee.File online in minutes. FTB offers free electronic filing through CalFile, an easy-to-use tool available to more than 6.4 million taxpayers. FTB recommends setting up direct deposit to get a fast refund – generally within 7 to 10 days.
  61. Web site: PIVOTING AWAY FROM PAPER How the IRS Can Overhaul Customer Service and Transform its Business Practices IRS Oversight Board Public Forum Agenda . 9 January 2021 . May 13, 2014 . PANEL 2: Using Technology to Increase Customer Service for Taxpayers and Preparers: Panelist: Anne Miller, Division Chief, Filing Division, California Franchise Tax Board.
  62. Web site: Miller . Anne . Pivoting Away from Paper . Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board Public Forum . . 9 January 2021 . May 13, 2014 . CalFile was implemented in 2003 as a free, direct-to-government filing option for personal income taxpayers to complete and e-file their California tax return. CalFile leveraged the e-file system developed a decade earlier and the direct filing portal we made available for tax software providers in 1998..
  63. Web site: 2019-12-08. 2004 ReadyReturn Pilot. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20050323074504/https://www.ftb.ca.gov/readyreturn/. 2005-03-23. 2019-12-08. Franchise Tax Board.
  64. Web site: 2014-05-02. Your California tax return may be ready and waiting for you - ReadyReturn. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140502124659/https://www.ftb.ca.gov/READYRETURN/. 2014-05-02. 2014-05-02. California Franchise Tax Board.
  65. Web site: What was the experience with return-free filing in California?. 9 January 2021. Tax Policy Center. en. The pilot program was popular among taxpayers who used it, and California subsequently authorized the widespread availability of ReadyReturns for tax year 2007. The program has now been incorporated into CalFile, the state’s free online tax-filing site..
  66. Lam . Bourree . The Fight Over Making Taxes Less Awful . . 18 April 2016 . 9 January 2021 . The state’s program, CalFile, uses information the state already has to calculate taxes for single filers making up to $169,730 and married filers making up to $339,464 a year.According to the California Franchise Tax Board, CalFile’s annual costs are about $100,000, which goes toward updating the program in accordance with any new tax legislation, and saves the state over half a million dollars a year. (For comparison, the private-sector tax-prep industry is estimated to bring in $10 billion in revenue every year.).
  67. News: Howard . John . Debate over online state tax filing heats up in Capitol . 9 January 2021 . Capitol Weekly . 29 July 2010 . Sacramento, California . Intuit, which manufacturers the popular TurboTax program, and others in a business coalition want to curtail the use of free, state-sponsored online tax filing systems. There are two of them. One is Ready Return, a basic, one-step process for taxpayers who use the standard deduction, don’t itemize and only have wage income from one W-2 source. The other is CalFile, which allows itemized deductions and income up to $321,000 for married filing jointly, but is not suitable for some taxpayers, such as those with extensive investment income or business deductions...Chiang noted that private tax preparers have sought dismantling Ready Return for several years, since the establishment of the online pilot program. Chiang spokesman Jacob Roper added that “the state saves a tremendous amount with people who use online filing. A digital return costs 34 cents to process, as opposed to $2.59 for a paper return.” Estimates vary, but the FTB believes Ready Return and CalFile save taxpayers between $4 million and $10 million, while the state saves some $500,000 annually in overhead and administrative costs..
  68. Web site: Kaste . Martin . IRS Urges E-Filing — But by Vendors Only, Please . . 9 January 2021 . en . March 23, 2007 . The intensity of industry opposition to CalFile has not gone unnoticed in Washington, D.C. In February, IRS commissioner Mark Everson told Congress that he was reluctant to set up an IRS direct e-file system in part because of the bruising battle he witnessed in California...And that leaves federal taxpayers with little prospect of a direct-to-government e-filing system anytime soon...In fact, the industry already ran Big Brother-themed ads in California when tax authorities there were setting up CalFile, a direct e-filing system for state taxes. Lenny Goldberg, the head of the California Tax Reform Association, says Intuit is leading the charge against direct e-filing..
  69. News: Mayyasi . Alex . The Stanford Professor Who Fought the Tax Lobby . 9 January 2021 . Priceonomics . March 22, 2017 . en . The name for tax filing where the government sends out completed tax forms is return-free filing or pro forma returns. Countries like Sweden and Spain use return-free filing. In Estonia, 95% of taxpayers receive their tax bill online, and many pay with a single click. ReadyReturn was later incorporated into CalFile, which allows Californians to e-file their taxes. Intuit is not a fan..
  70. News: Elliott . Justin . Kiel . Paul . Inside TurboTax's 20-Year Fight to Stop Americans From Filing Their Taxes for Free . ProPublica . en . But the success of TurboTax rests on a shaky foundation, one that could collapse overnight if the U.S. government did what most wealthy countries did long ago and made tax filing simple and free for most citizens. via : news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21281411.
  71. Web site: Ferenstein . Gregory . Technology Could Make Tax Day Easy; Lobbying Keeps It Complicated . . 9 January 2021 . 15 April 2015 . Unfortunately, Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, has banded with other tax-filing corporations to form a multi-million dollar lobbying machine to halt the government from rolling the technology out nation-wide. In 2010, the Los Angeles Times reported that Intuit spent $1,250,000 lobbying the state, at least in part to kill the pilot and prevent its spread throughout the country. ReadyReturn no longer exists, although some of its features have been rolled into CalFile, a new tax service from the State of California. CalFile allows taxpayers to file their returns directly with the state, but does not appear to automatically estimate their tax liability in advance..
  72. Book: Bankman . Joseph . Joseph Bankman . Mr. Smith Gets an Education: Why it is so Hard to get Easy Tax Filing . November 19, 2019 . 9 January 2021 . At around the same time, the industry took steps to make the program more difficult to find. Both Intuit and H&R Block added code to their Free File websites that shielded them from search engines such as Google..

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