Taxes and AskMe February 1, 2007 8:57 AM Subscribe
We all know tax time is coming. Could we please have a moratorium on all tax-related AskMe's that are more complex than "I live in X, where do I mail my return to"?
You ask for tax advice. I give you advice that's wrong, but I make it sound convincing, because I think I know what I'm talking about. You follow the advice, and the IRS/Revenue Canada/local equivalent eats your soul for breakfast.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:00 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:00 AM on February 1, 2007
I don't know about the whole liability side of things, but there's no way you can be confident that the answers you're getting from some dudes on a website are sufficiently accurate, especially given the risk of having your soul eaten for breakfast. Questions like this shouldn't be allowed, to save askers from themselves.
posted by matthewr at 9:05 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by matthewr at 9:05 AM on February 1, 2007
Oh, okay. I misunderstood. I thought you were saying the asker would be breaking laws somehow and might end up in trouble because of it. Instead, you're saying the asker could end up in trouble legally, but only because they followed advice to do (potentially, hypothetically) illegal stuff.
posted by cgc373 at 9:06 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by cgc373 at 9:06 AM on February 1, 2007
I don't know, I think there are probably many tax-related questions that can be answered definitively (with a link to some IRS documentation, for example).
People are asking questions about X that are not only impossible to answer without seeing all the Y involved (and being a X professional in that area), but since the advice being given is, for the most part, not coming from a professional, there could be serious Z for the asker.
This applies to many, many other types of questions.
Perhaps a seasonal reminder on the submission form to the effect of: "Careful about tax questions. If it seems likely that someone answering the question is going to need more information, maybe you should consider a professional." would be appropriate?
posted by Rock Steady at 9:14 AM on February 1, 2007
People are asking questions about X that are not only impossible to answer without seeing all the Y involved (and being a X professional in that area), but since the advice being given is, for the most part, not coming from a professional, there could be serious Z for the asker.
This applies to many, many other types of questions.
Perhaps a seasonal reminder on the submission form to the effect of: "Careful about tax questions. If it seems likely that someone answering the question is going to need more information, maybe you should consider a professional." would be appropriate?
posted by Rock Steady at 9:14 AM on February 1, 2007
Any problem complex enough to warrant a question in AskMe is pretty likely to mostly receive answers along the lines of "I am not a tax professional. You need one." Which are useless to almost everyone: the poster, the readers, and future searchers.
posted by hermitosis at 9:15 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by hermitosis at 9:15 AM on February 1, 2007
Plus, any accountants who read AskMe are most likely so busy this time of year that they could give a double dog-dung about your problems.
posted by hermitosis at 9:16 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by hermitosis at 9:16 AM on February 1, 2007
I agree with dna's sentiment, but not the proposed solution. Policing this will be impossible - it would require mattamyn to review every tax-related question and judge whether they are sufficiently complex to warrant deletion. Last I checked, neither Matt nor Jessamyn were tax professionals.
I think a permanent notice on the AskMe submission page is the best can be done. And while we're at it, lets have it cover legal and medical questions too. Something like:
"Questions about complex legal, medical, or tax-related issues are best left to professionals, and are strongly discouraged."
posted by googly at 9:25 AM on February 1, 2007
I think a permanent notice on the AskMe submission page is the best can be done. And while we're at it, lets have it cover legal and medical questions too. Something like:
"Questions about complex legal, medical, or tax-related issues are best left to professionals, and are strongly discouraged."
posted by googly at 9:25 AM on February 1, 2007
I don't think there should be a moratorium on tax-related questions, but I do agree that people should really reconsider asking such questions when there are plenty of other sources of information, and so many software options.
I am getting a bit squicked by so many people posting so much information about their finances in public though.
posted by terrapin at 9:29 AM on February 1, 2007
I am getting a bit squicked by so many people posting so much information about their finances in public though.
posted by terrapin at 9:29 AM on February 1, 2007
Any problem complex enough to warrant a question in AskMe is pretty likely to mostly receive answers along the lines of "I am not a tax professional. You need one." Which are useless to almost everyone: the poster, the readers, and future searchers.
I disagree. "You need a professional for this" is a perfectly valid answer. True, the asker may prefer more immediate (and free) help, but if it is not possible, they should be told that. And I object to any questions being "strongly discouraged," but yes, a more nuanced general notice might be wise.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:35 AM on February 1, 2007
I disagree. "You need a professional for this" is a perfectly valid answer. True, the asker may prefer more immediate (and free) help, but if it is not possible, they should be told that. And I object to any questions being "strongly discouraged," but yes, a more nuanced general notice might be wise.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:35 AM on February 1, 2007
I am just amazed that there are people who don't see any problems with a) getting tax advice from internet people and b) telling internet people enough about their finances to ask tax questions.
posted by winna at 9:48 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by winna at 9:48 AM on February 1, 2007
How is 2/1 tax time? That's crazy. 4/13 or so, maybe.
posted by anotherpanacea at 9:56 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by anotherpanacea at 9:56 AM on February 1, 2007
I have already filed my taxes and got my refund back.
Not everyone waits that long. The earlier you file, the easier it is to talk to someone at the IRS or to an accountant. They aren't swamped yet. If you file as soon as your W2 arrives you're not going to be stuck for hours on the phone if you have to call someone.
posted by winna at 10:04 AM on February 1, 2007
Not everyone waits that long. The earlier you file, the easier it is to talk to someone at the IRS or to an accountant. They aren't swamped yet. If you file as soon as your W2 arrives you're not going to be stuck for hours on the phone if you have to call someone.
posted by winna at 10:04 AM on February 1, 2007
In case anotherpanacea is not being facetious, here is my theory:
In the US, W-2 and 1099 forms by law must be post-marked by 1/31, so many people have all the forms they need to do their taxes by 2/1.
I used to think that there was a relationship between early filers and folks who expect a refund, but with more people using TurboTax (and similar products) perhaps it is because the process is perceived as less taxing (pun!) and so many try to get it out of the way.
There is a benefit to doing them early whether one expects a refund or to owe. The refund historically come sooner to those who file before the deadline. The sooner you have that money the sooner you can a) spend it, b) save it and get interest. The sooner one finds out how much they owe the sooner one realizes they need to start saving money to pay by 4/15.
But you knew that :)
posted by terrapin at 10:10 AM on February 1, 2007
In the US, W-2 and 1099 forms by law must be post-marked by 1/31, so many people have all the forms they need to do their taxes by 2/1.
I used to think that there was a relationship between early filers and folks who expect a refund, but with more people using TurboTax (and similar products) perhaps it is because the process is perceived as less taxing (pun!) and so many try to get it out of the way.
There is a benefit to doing them early whether one expects a refund or to owe. The refund historically come sooner to those who file before the deadline. The sooner you have that money the sooner you can a) spend it, b) save it and get interest. The sooner one finds out how much they owe the sooner one realizes they need to start saving money to pay by 4/15.
But you knew that :)
posted by terrapin at 10:10 AM on February 1, 2007
Moratorium, no. Warning about getting tax advice from strangers on the internet, yes. Also, I'd like to gently recommend that MeFites thinking about asking a tax question first check whether there's an IRS publication which would answer your question. (And if you did check, and the publication didn't answer your question, or you didn't understand it, say so.)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:21 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:21 AM on February 1, 2007
Oh, and an "I live in X, where do I mail my return to?" question should be deleted as easily Googled.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:27 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:27 AM on February 1, 2007
Resolved: jessamyn should pay attention for the next few months.
Take that, lady!
posted by cortex at 10:30 AM on February 1, 2007
Take that, lady!
posted by cortex at 10:30 AM on February 1, 2007
The type of poster that posts sensitive personal information in their question is not the sort of person that necessarily reads all the fine print before posting. Making more rules to save people from themselves is not how a self policing community works. If the thousands of readers of AskMe can't be counted on to advise querents to seek the advice of a professional when its appropriate to do so than AskMe is broken.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:33 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by oneirodynia at 10:33 AM on February 1, 2007
"then"
posted by oneirodynia at 10:34 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by oneirodynia at 10:34 AM on February 1, 2007
The problem is not that the thousands of readers of AskMe can't be counted on to advise querents to seek the advice of a professional when its appropriate to do so. The problem is that they can - and will - and we will have dozens of tax-related (and health-related, and law-related) questions full of answers that say "consult a professional."
The point of a gentle warning on the AskMe page is simply to reduce the number of those threads. Some will inevitably slip through; so be it. It won't solve the problem, but it might clean up just a bit of the clutter.
posted by googly at 10:57 AM on February 1, 2007
The point of a gentle warning on the AskMe page is simply to reduce the number of those threads. Some will inevitably slip through; so be it. It won't solve the problem, but it might clean up just a bit of the clutter.
posted by googly at 10:57 AM on February 1, 2007
Moratoria are never good. We don't need to save people from themselves on AskMe. If you don't want to read a tax-post (and I don't either), don't read it.
posted by modernnomad at 11:04 AM on February 1, 2007
posted by modernnomad at 11:04 AM on February 1, 2007
Maybe Matt should put a green visor on that Santa gif and replace the words "Christmas list" with "tax advice".
posted by klarck at 11:20 AM on February 1, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by klarck at 11:20 AM on February 1, 2007 [1 favorite]
Why is asking a question on AskMe any different from asking some of your friends what they think? If your friend isn't a tax pro, you wouldn't take his/her word as gospel but you'll probably get some ideas on the issues involved and references to seek. If I asked my friend a tax question and the response was, "Sorry, I don't answer tax questions more complex than 'I live in X, where do I send my forms', then that person would cease being my friend.
posted by mullacc at 12:27 PM on February 1, 2007
posted by mullacc at 12:27 PM on February 1, 2007
Resolved: jessamyn should pay attention for the next few months.
Huh? Wha? Okay.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:49 PM on February 1, 2007
Huh? Wha? Okay.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:49 PM on February 1, 2007
A tremendous start!
Seriously, I have no idea. Weird day.
posted by cortex at 1:52 PM on February 1, 2007
Seriously, I have no idea. Weird day.
posted by cortex at 1:52 PM on February 1, 2007
Tax questions are boring because they're almost never helpful or interesting to anyone other than the poster. Also, because like christmas-present posts, they are many. And finally because they're another area where people post questions pertaining to US law without actually saying what country they live in. Because the Internet is American, you know.
posted by loiseau at 2:34 PM on February 1, 2007
posted by loiseau at 2:34 PM on February 1, 2007
I used to think that there was a relationship between early filers and folks who expect a refund, but with more people using TurboTax (and similar products) perhaps it is because the process is perceived as less taxing (pun!) and so many try to get it out of the way.
I think it's this, and H&R Block, who've been advertising heavily this week. Moreover, this is the fourth conversation I've had about taxes in the last two days. The funny thing is, I don't remember it ever being like this before.
posted by anotherpanacea at 3:39 PM on February 1, 2007
I think it's this, and H&R Block, who've been advertising heavily this week. Moreover, this is the fourth conversation I've had about taxes in the last two days. The funny thing is, I don't remember it ever being like this before.
posted by anotherpanacea at 3:39 PM on February 1, 2007
Gamblor, your prophecys (ies? neither looks right and I'm too lazy to look it up, though this long parenthetical destroys the flow of the joke, such as it ever was) are intriguing to me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
posted by Kwine at 3:43 PM on February 1, 2007
posted by Kwine at 3:43 PM on February 1, 2007
Speaking for myself, I'll just go ahead and ask questions on any subjects that suit me.
posted by bingo at 8:21 PM on February 1, 2007
posted by bingo at 8:21 PM on February 1, 2007
I second googly's suggestion. A moratorium goes too far. A strongly worded warning will allow us to flag and ridicule with impunity. Maybe also an extra "YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO ASK THIS" warning page when someone tries to ask something with the tags (or the word) "tax" or "taxes" or "irs"?
posted by Plutor at 7:01 AM on February 2, 2007
posted by Plutor at 7:01 AM on February 2, 2007
I added a little note to the posting pages with links to the tag pages for irs, tax, taxes and money. If people feel that their question is important, it's fine to ask, but we'll delete things that are outright doubles if we can find the original threads.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:38 AM on February 2, 2007
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:38 AM on February 2, 2007
Obviously people are asking tax questions right now because they're getting tax documents in the mail right now.
posted by smackfu at 9:17 PM on February 2, 2007
posted by smackfu at 9:17 PM on February 2, 2007
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posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:57 AM on February 1, 2007