Re: Bush's IRS Wants to Make Your Tax Returns Public

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: John Levine [johnl () iecc com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 1:20 PM
To: David Farber
Cc: Lars Poulsen
Subject: Re: [IP] Re:   Bush's IRS Wants to Make Your Tax Returns Public

> Nobody should be surprised at this. Frankly, I have been suspicious
> ever since I saw "free online tax-preparation" offered on the net.
> It is obvious that if an address of a homeowner is worth $5 to
> marketers, then a complete form 1040 is worth at least $50.

It is my impression that the main impetus for the free online tax prep
is to sell people overpriced refund anticipation loans, a variant of
payday loans.  My local credit union offers free tax prep in person,
to deflect people from the H+R Block refund loans and to encourage
people to put their refunds in savings accounts and build some assets.

Selling the info to marketers is gravy.

Regards,
John Levine, johnl () iecc com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://www.johnlevine.com, ex-Mayor
"More Wiener schnitzel, please", said Tom, revealingly.

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