How the Tax Prep Industry Makes You PayProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that reports on abuses of power. to receive our best stories as soon as they’re published.Did you know that if you make less than $66,000 a year, you can prepare and ?No? That’s no accident. Companies that make tax preparation software, like Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, would rather you didn’t know.Intuit and other tax software companies have to make sure that the IRS doesn’t offer its own tax preparation and filing service. In exchange, the companies have entered into an agreement with the IRS to offer a to most...…How the Tax Prep Industry Makes You PayProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that reports on abuses of power. to receive our best stories as soon as they’re published.Did you know that if you make less than $66,000 a year, you can prepare and ?No? That’s no accident. Companies that make tax preparation software, like Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, would rather you didn’t know.Intuit and other tax software companies have to make sure that the IRS doesn’t offer its own tax preparation and filing service. In exchange, the companies have entered into an agreement with the IRS to offer a to most...WW…

Fiscal Responses to COVID-19ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.Landlords in at least four states have violated the eviction ban passed by Congress last month, a review of records shows, moving to throw more than a hundred people out of their homes.In an effort to help renters amid the coronavirus pandemic and skyrocketing unemployment, the March 27 CARES Act banned eviction filings for all federally backed rental units nationwide, more than a quarter of the total.But ProPublica found building owners who are...…Fiscal Responses to COVID-19ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.Landlords in at least four states have violated the eviction ban passed by Congress last month, a review of records shows, moving to throw more than a hundred people out of their homes.In an effort to help renters amid the coronavirus pandemic and skyrocketing unemployment, the March 27 CARES Act banned eviction filings for all federally backed rental units nationwide, more than a quarter of the total.But ProPublica found building owners who are...WW…

Fiscal Responses to COVID-19ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.Congress has approved billions of dollars of checks for Americans hard hit by the biggest round of layoffs in U.S. history. But millions of Americans will have to wait months for that money — and millions more may never get the money at all.That’s because the rescue legislation left it to the IRS, an agency by Congress, to organize the complex logistics of delivering the money to those entitled to it. As the IRS has struggled, for-profit tax...…Fiscal Responses to COVID-19ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.Congress has approved billions of dollars of checks for Americans hard hit by the biggest round of layoffs in U.S. history. But millions of Americans will have to wait months for that money — and millions more may never get the money at all.That’s because the rescue legislation left it to the IRS, an agency by Congress, to organize the complex logistics of delivering the money to those entitled to it. As the IRS has struggled, for-profit tax...WW…

The U.S. Response to COVID-19ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.Within a few weeks, the Federal Reserve will start a $600 billion lending program that the Trump administration will help 40,000 midsized businesses that employ 35 million Americans.The Main Street Lending Program is the next marquee effort of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which Congress passed in March. It is set to begin after weeks of criticism of the first, the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. While...…The U.S. Response to COVID-19ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.Within a few weeks, the Federal Reserve will start a $600 billion lending program that the Trump administration will help 40,000 midsized businesses that employ 35 million Americans.The Main Street Lending Program is the next marquee effort of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which Congress passed in March. It is set to begin after weeks of criticism of the first, the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. While...WW…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. The Secret IRS Files is an ongoing reporting project. when the next story publishes. Or text “IRS” to to get the next story texted to you (standard messaging rates apply).Also: Do you have expertise in tax law, accounting or wealth management?Billionaire Peter Thiel, a founder of PayPal, has publicly condemned “confiscatory taxes.” He’s been a major funder of one of the most prominent anti-tax political action committees in the country. And he’s bankrolled a group that promotes building floating nations that would impose...…ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. The Secret IRS Files is an ongoing reporting project. when the next story publishes. Or text “IRS” to to get the next story texted to you (standard messaging rates apply).Also: Do you have expertise in tax law, accounting or wealth management?Billionaire Peter Thiel, a founder of PayPal, has publicly condemned “confiscatory taxes.” He’s been a major funder of one of the most prominent anti-tax political action committees in the country. And he’s bankrolled a group that promotes building floating nations that would impose...WW…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.As Turkey launched a military offensive against Kurdish minorities in neighboring Syria in early 2018, Facebook’s top executives faced a political dilemma.Turkey was demanding the social media giant block Facebook posts from the People’s Protection Units, a mostly Kurdish militia group the Turkish government had targeted. Should Facebook ignore the request, as it has done elsewhere, and risk losing access to tens of millions of users in Turkey? Or should it silence the...…ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.As Turkey launched a military offensive against Kurdish minorities in neighboring Syria in early 2018, Facebook’s top executives faced a political dilemma.Turkey was demanding the social media giant block Facebook posts from the People’s Protection Units, a mostly Kurdish militia group the Turkish government had targeted. Should Facebook ignore the request, as it has done elsewhere, and risk losing access to tens of millions of users in Turkey? Or should it silence the...WW…

The Secretive World of Work-At-Home Customer ServiceProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.Ten years ago, the Department of Labor wrapped up a lengthy investigation of Arise Virtual Solutions, a company that recruited customer service agents to work from home fielding calls for big brand names like Disney and AAA. The so-called gig economy was in its infancy, with Uber launching and TaskRabbit starting to go national.The question for the Obama administration’s Labor Department: Did Arise employ those customer...…The Secretive World of Work-At-Home Customer ServiceProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.Ten years ago, the Department of Labor wrapped up a lengthy investigation of Arise Virtual Solutions, a company that recruited customer service agents to work from home fielding calls for big brand names like Disney and AAA. The so-called gig economy was in its infancy, with Uber launching and TaskRabbit starting to go national.The question for the Obama administration’s Labor Department: Did Arise employ those customer...WW…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published. Having issues voting? You can or read .Philadelphia officials are denying a Trump campaign operative’s allegation that Republican poll watchers are being excluded from voting sites around the city.Subscribe to the Big Story newsletter.Mike Roman, the Trump campaign’s national Election Day operations director, a video early Tuesday morning that appears to show a Republican poll watcher being turned away from a polling place in the city.Roman added: “DEMOCRAT ELECTION...…ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published. Having issues voting? You can or read .Philadelphia officials are denying a Trump campaign operative’s allegation that Republican poll watchers are being excluded from voting sites around the city.Subscribe to the Big Story newsletter.Mike Roman, the Trump campaign’s national Election Day operations director, a video early Tuesday morning that appears to show a Republican poll watcher being turned away from a polling place in the city.Roman added: “DEMOCRAT ELECTION...WW…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.This story is co-published with Politico.In late November 2017, Senate Republicans were racing to secure the votes for their sweeping tax overhaul. With no Democrats supporting the bill and even some Republicans , , the Maine Republican, found herself with enormous leverage.The day before the vote, she offered an amendment to make the legislation, which lavished tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy, more equitable. It expanded a tax credit to make child care more...…ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.This story is co-published with Politico.In late November 2017, Senate Republicans were racing to secure the votes for their sweeping tax overhaul. With no Democrats supporting the bill and even some Republicans , , the Maine Republican, found herself with enormous leverage.The day before the vote, she offered an amendment to make the legislation, which lavished tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy, more equitable. It expanded a tax credit to make child care more...WW…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.The Department of Justice has weakened its long-standing prohibition against interfering in elections, according to two department officials.Avoiding election interference is the of DOJ policy on voting-related crimes. In place since at least 1980, the policy generally bars prosecutors not only from making any announcement about ongoing investigations close to an election but also from taking public steps — such as an arrest or a raid — before a vote is finalized because the...…ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive as soon as they’re published.The Department of Justice has weakened its long-standing prohibition against interfering in elections, according to two department officials.Avoiding election interference is the of DOJ policy on voting-related crimes. In place since at least 1980, the policy generally bars prosecutors not only from making any announcement about ongoing investigations close to an election but also from taking public steps — such as an arrest or a raid — before a vote is finalized because the...WW…