Will smartphone ownership become a de facto requirement?

[Scott5114]

So don't change the $1 bill. Just stop printing them. The average bill only lasts about 3 years, so in a decade there won't be any left.

The law as written specifically prohibits this so that Crane & Co. can keep selling currency paper. I am not sure how it's worded, but it may require the Fed to continue issuing them. So the bills would just get grosser and more torn up but never get replaced.

Dimes and half dollars are also pretty unnecessary. You can pay exact change for any transaction < $2 with no more than 8 coins (1 dollar + 3 quarters + 4 nickels = $1.95).

If you really want to go all the way with this, $10 and $50 are pretty unnecessary as well. $2, $5, $20 and $100 can cover everything you need.

Coming from someone who worked as basically a glorified bank teller for 6 years, both before and after the casino took the $10s and dimes out of our starting bank...it's fucking miserable not having them.

Now, however, I find it more difficult to keep track of what has been paid and what hasn't, because there isn't the reminder of an unpaid bill in my incoming-mail slot on my desk.

Don't delete the email notifying you about a payment due until after you've scheduled the payment.

Heh, bold of you to assume I actually delete emails after I read them... (inbox currently: 56 unread, 109 total)

[CtrlAltDel]

Dimes and half dollars are also pretty unnecessary. You can pay exact change for any transaction < $2 with no more than 8 coins (1 dollar + 3 quarters + 4 nickels = $1.95).

If you really want to go all the way with this, $10 and $50 are pretty unnecessary as well. $2, $5, $20 and $100 can cover everything you need.

Coming from someone who worked as basically a glorified bank teller for 6 years, both before and after the casino took the $10s and dimes out of our starting bank...it's fucking miserable not having them.

I like the 1 2 5 system the euro uses. What cabiness42 suggests is just too inconsistent for my taste.

[Rothman]

Get rid of all the cash and tattoo a bar code on everyone already.

[abefroman329]

Coming from someone who worked as basically a glorified bank teller for 6 years, both before and after the casino took the $10s and dimes out of our starting bank...it's fucking miserable not having them.

Ugh, sorry.  I'm sure you dealt with far more shitty customers than you would have at a bank, too.

[1995hoo]

It's worth noting that if you pay income taxes, you're already rounding, because the IRS only works in whole dollar increments.

You don't have to round if you don't want to. Most software will do so, but if you're a stickler about getting your 33¢ or the like, you can do so. As CtrlAltDel notes, however, if you round one figure, you must round everything, so on balance it means some of the rounding will favor the IRS and some will favor you, and on balance it'll likely be a wash. I suggest that for most people, the benefit of getting less than 50¢ in your favor due to rounding is not likely worth the additional time it would take to do the math with non-rounded numbers (assuming that anyone who's doing this is not using tax preparation software).

I filed a hand-prepared non-rounded return once, the first tax return I ever filed, when I was due an $11.33 refund on a 1040-EZ. I'd never even remotely consider doing my taxes by hand nowadays.

[abefroman329]

I'd never even remotely consider doing my taxes by hand nowadays.

It's horrendous.  I was one of the unfortunate few who filed their 2020 taxes before the third stimulus package was passed, which stated that unemployment compensation up to a certain threshold wouldn't be taxable.  The IRS automatically sent me a check for the difference.  The State of Illinois wanted me to prepare an amended federal return (I didn't have to file it) and then submit a copy of that along with an amended state return in order to get my refund.  The amended federal return would basically have to be done by hand.  I gave up trying to figure out how to do that.

[kalvado]

Get rid of all the cash and tattoo a bar code on everyone already.

Make people wear some license plates and bill by picture.
This works for AET after all!

[kurumi]

It's becoming that way for desktop web services. Google Docs and Gmail are increasingly insisting on getting your phone number (which cannot be a landline) so they can "make sure it's really you". Even if you have a secondary authentication email set up. Even though SMS is pretty easily spoofed.

Facebook asked for users' phone numbers for security purposes, "we promise we won't use it for marketing", and then to everyone's complete surprise, went ahead and used it for advertising. Be careful with your phone number.

[vdeane]

It's worth noting that if you pay income taxes, you're already rounding, because the IRS only works in whole dollar increments.

You don't have to round if you don't want to. Most software will do so, but if you're a stickler about getting your 33¢ or the like, you can do so. As CtrlAltDel notes, however, if you round one figure, you must round everything, so on balance it means some of the rounding will favor the IRS and some will favor you, and on balance it'll likely be a wash. I suggest that for most people, the benefit of getting less than 50¢ in your favor due to rounding is not likely worth the additional time it would take to do the math with non-rounded numbers (assuming that anyone who's doing this is not using tax preparation software).

I filed a hand-prepared non-rounded return once, the first tax return I ever filed, when I was due an $11.33 refund on a 1040-EZ. I'd never even remotely consider doing my taxes by hand nowadays.

I use free file fillable forms.  It's basically like a paper return, but electronic.  That system doesn't actually allow decimals to be entered.  Additionally, NY actually requires rounding for its own income tax, as the form only accepts full dollar amounts.  Sadly, the free webfile system was discontinued and now it is no longer possible to electronically file with NY without using a tax preparer or private tax software, the latter of which is only free for people below a certain income who meet certain criteria; additionally, the enhanced forms aren't compatible with Linux, though I've managed to get a not too old Adobe Reader to run under Wine.  Otherwise I'd be stuck handwriting on the regular form, which takes forever for them to process.  I refuse to pay a private individual or corporation just to file a government form.

It's becoming that way for desktop web services. Google Docs and Gmail are increasingly insisting on getting your phone number (which cannot be a landline) so they can "make sure it's really you". Even if you have a secondary authentication email set up. Even though SMS is pretty easily spoofed.

Facebook asked for users' phone numbers for security purposes, "we promise we won't use it for marketing", and then to everyone's complete surprise, went ahead and used it for advertising. Be careful with your phone number.

To make matters worse, Facebook had a data breach earlier this year, which is where all the spam texts that seem to know your name come from.

Microsoft is pushing SMS authentication as the only way to sign into a Microsoft account, which is how they want people to sign into their computers with on consumer versions of Windows.  They say it's more secure because people don't use complex enough passwords.  Apparently they've never heard of SIM-swapping.  Tying accounts to a phone like this makes them less secure, not more.  Of course, Microsoft's record on security has been absolutely abysmal as of late (I swear Windows 10 has more flaws than pre-SP2 Windows XP did!).  It's to the point where I'm not sure why people and businesses aren't trying to jump ship.

[renegade]

To make matters worse, Facebook had a data breach earlier this year, which is where all the spam texts that seem to know your name come from.

Glad I stayed away from that.

[SectorZ]

Get rid of all the cash and tattoo a bar code on everyone already.

I'm "Not Sure" that is a good idea...

[renegade]

Get rid of all the cash and tattoo a bar code on everyone already.

I'm "Not Sure" that is a good idea...

Everyone should watch that movie.

[interstatefan990]

Get rid of all the cash and tattoo a bar code on everyone already.

It's called Apple Pay.

[1995hoo]

It's worth noting that if you pay income taxes, you're already rounding, because the IRS only works in whole dollar increments.

You don't have to round if you don't want to. Most software will do so, but if you're a stickler about getting your 33¢ or the like, you can do so. As CtrlAltDel notes, however, if you round one figure, you must round everything, so on balance it means some of the rounding will favor the IRS and some will favor you, and on balance it'll likely be a wash. I suggest that for most people, the benefit of getting less than 50¢ in your favor due to rounding is not likely worth the additional time it would take to do the math with non-rounded numbers (assuming that anyone who's doing this is not using tax preparation software).

I filed a hand-prepared non-rounded return once, the first tax return I ever filed, when I was due an $11.33 refund on a 1040-EZ. I'd never even remotely consider doing my taxes by hand nowadays.

I use free file fillable forms.  It's basically like a paper return, but electronic.  That system doesn't actually allow decimals to be entered.  Additionally, NY actually requires rounding for its own income tax, as the form only accepts full dollar amounts.  Sadly, the free webfile system was discontinued and now it is no longer possible to electronically file with NY without using a tax preparer or private tax software, the latter of which is only free for people below a certain income who meet certain criteria; additionally, the enhanced forms aren't compatible with Linux, though I've managed to get a not too old Adobe Reader to run under Wine.  Otherwise I'd be stuck handwriting on the regular form, which takes forever for them to process.  I refuse to pay a private individual or corporation just to file a government form.

....

Fair enough as to New York (I haven't had to file a New York return since 2009, and when I did I used Turbo Tax to prepare the non-resident return and then claim a credit from Virginia), but in defense of how I structured my comment, you did say "the IRS" in the post to which I was responding (see boldface above).

[hotdogPi]

To make matters worse, Facebook had a data breach earlier this year, which is where all the spam texts that seem to know your name come from.

I get those spam texts, and I don't have Facebook. (On the other hand, they call me either Lydia or Clarice, and I am obviously neither.)

[SectorZ]

To make matters worse, Facebook had a data breach earlier this year, which is where all the spam texts that seem to know your name come from.

I get those spam texts, and I don't have Facebook. (On the other hand, they call me either Lydia or Clarice, and I am obviously neither.)

This guy looking for you?

[Scott5114]

...additionally, the enhanced forms aren't compatible with Linux, though I've managed to get a not too old Adobe Reader to run under Wine. 

Have you tried using them in Okular? Whenever I open an IRS form in Okular, it pops up an error message complaining "This PDF file requires a newer version of Adobe Reader. Press OK to download the latest version or see your system administrator" (which I suspect is encoded in the PDF itself, as I can't see the KDE devs writing an error message like that) and "This document has XFA forms, which are currently unsupported." but if I click OK and "Show Forms" the form boxes appear to open, save, and print just fine.

[vdeane]

It's worth noting that if you pay income taxes, you're already rounding, because the IRS only works in whole dollar increments.

You don't have to round if you don't want to. Most software will do so, but if you're a stickler about getting your 33¢ or the like, you can do so. As CtrlAltDel notes, however, if you round one figure, you must round everything, so on balance it means some of the rounding will favor the IRS and some will favor you, and on balance it'll likely be a wash. I suggest that for most people, the benefit of getting less than 50¢ in your favor due to rounding is not likely worth the additional time it would take to do the math with non-rounded numbers (assuming that anyone who's doing this is not using tax preparation software).

I filed a hand-prepared non-rounded return once, the first tax return I ever filed, when I was due an $11.33 refund on a 1040-EZ. I'd never even remotely consider doing my taxes by hand nowadays.

I use free file fillable forms.  It's basically like a paper return, but electronic.  That system doesn't actually allow decimals to be entered.  Additionally, NY actually requires rounding for its own income tax, as the form only accepts full dollar amounts.  Sadly, the free webfile system was discontinued and now it is no longer possible to electronically file with NY without using a tax preparer or private tax software, the latter of which is only free for people below a certain income who meet certain criteria; additionally, the enhanced forms aren't compatible with Linux, though I've managed to get a not too old Adobe Reader to run under Wine.  Otherwise I'd be stuck handwriting on the regular form, which takes forever for them to process.  I refuse to pay a private individual or corporation just to file a government form.

....

Fair enough as to New York (I haven't had to file a New York return since 2009, and when I did I used Turbo Tax to prepare the non-resident return and then claim a credit from Virginia), but in defense of how I structured my comment, you did say "the IRS" in the post to which I was responding (see boldface above).

I've never filed federal taxes with anything other than Free File Fillable Forms.  It never occurred to me that they might have a quirk beyond IRS requirements, especially as NYS mandates it for everyone.

...additionally, the enhanced forms aren't compatible with Linux, though I've managed to get a not too old Adobe Reader to run under Wine. 

Have you tried using them in Okular? Whenever I open an IRS form in Okular, it pops up an error message complaining "This PDF file requires a newer version of Adobe Reader. Press OK to download the latest version or see your system administrator" (which I suspect is encoded in the PDF itself, as I can't see the KDE devs writing an error message like that) and "This document has XFA forms, which are currently unsupported." but if I click OK and "Show Forms" the form boxes appear to open, save, and print just fine.

I'll have to remember to try that at some point.  In addition to the form fields, the forms also calculate tax rates and encode the form data into a barcode that's printed on the side for the state to feed into a computer.  It's basically a pseudo-e-filing method that requires USPS to transport paper.

[1995hoo]

To make matters worse, Facebook had a data breach earlier this year, which is where all the spam texts that seem to know your name come from.

I get those spam texts, and I don't have Facebook. (On the other hand, they call me either Lydia or Clarice, and I am obviously neither.)

Same here, except the ones I periodically get all say "Stephanie." Made me wonder whether someone mistyped a phone number. Or I suppose someone might have tried to make up a fake number and given what turned out to be my number. People often think it's a mistake when I say it because it ends with three of the same digit.

[hbelkins]

To make matters worse, Facebook had a data breach earlier this year, which is where all the spam texts that seem to know your name come from.

I get those spam texts, and I don't have Facebook. (On the other hand, they call me either Lydia or Clarice, and I am obviously neither.)

Same here, except the ones I periodically get all say "Stephanie." Made me wonder whether someone mistyped a phone number. Or I suppose someone might have tried to make up a fake number and given what turned out to be my number. People often think it's a mistake when I say it because it ends with three of the same digit.

My spam texts are addressed to "Faviola." My wife is jealous because the ones she gets are to regular-sounding names. And she gets them sent to more than one person. In one day she may get one for "Betty" and one for "Julie."

For some reason, I get a lot of spam emails addressed to "Rebecca." I don't know why that is. I don't have a Rebecca in my family.

[vdeane]

To make matters worse, Facebook had a data breach earlier this year, which is where all the spam texts that seem to know your name come from.

I get those spam texts, and I don't have Facebook. (On the other hand, they call me either Lydia or Clarice, and I am obviously neither.)

Same here, except the ones I periodically get all say "Stephanie." Made me wonder whether someone mistyped a phone number. Or I suppose someone might have tried to make up a fake number and given what turned out to be my number. People often think it's a mistake when I say it because it ends with three of the same digit.

My spam texts are addressed to "Faviola." My wife is jealous because the ones she gets are to regular-sounding names. And she gets them sent to more than one person. In one day she may get one for "Betty" and one for "Julie."

For some reason, I get a lot of spam emails addressed to "Rebecca." I don't know why that is. I don't have a Rebecca in my family.

Mine all have my actual name, which is fairly creepy.  I wonder if they pick names at random or something if they don't have one known.  It was the Apple Air Pods raffle scam from "Amazon" back in March and recently it was "AT&T" "freebies".

[Scott5114]

Mine normally don't even bother with names, instead saying things like "mate", "Dear Winner," and in one case, "Dear First Name Last Name".

[J N Winkler]

Have you tried using them in Okular? Whenever I open an IRS form in Okular, it pops up an error message complaining "This PDF file requires a newer version of Adobe Reader. Press OK to download the latest version or see your system administrator" (which I suspect is encoded in the PDF itself, as I can't see the KDE devs writing an error message like that) and "This document has XFA forms, which are currently unsupported." but if I click OK and "Show Forms" the form boxes appear to open, save, and print just fine.

I'll have to remember to try that at some point.  In addition to the form fields, the forms also calculate tax rates and encode the form data into a barcode that's printed on the side for the state to feed into a computer.  It's basically a pseudo-e-filing method that requires USPS to transport paper.

This smells like PDF with embedded JavaScript.

FoxIt Reader is available for Linux, so that is what I would try in lieu of Adobe Reader through an emulator.  I have basically given up on Adobe products--I tried Reader DC only to discover it took a ton of configuration changes to eliminate ads and performance decayed over time to the extent it would take five or more seconds to open a simple, small PDF after it had been installed for a month.  FoxIt has neither of these limitations and has been an entirely capable general-purpose PDF viewer.  There isn't really any reason to use Reader/Acrobat anymore now that the key PDF patents have expired.

[vdeane]

Have you tried using them in Okular? Whenever I open an IRS form in Okular, it pops up an error message complaining "This PDF file requires a newer version of Adobe Reader. Press OK to download the latest version or see your system administrator" (which I suspect is encoded in the PDF itself, as I can't see the KDE devs writing an error message like that) and "This document has XFA forms, which are currently unsupported." but if I click OK and "Show Forms" the form boxes appear to open, save, and print just fine.

I'll have to remember to try that at some point.  In addition to the form fields, the forms also calculate tax rates and encode the form data into a barcode that's printed on the side for the state to feed into a computer.  It's basically a pseudo-e-filing method that requires USPS to transport paper.

This smells like PDF with embedded JavaScript.

FoxIt Reader is available for Linux, so that is what I would try in lieu of Adobe Reader through an emulator.  I have basically given up on Adobe products--I tried Reader DC only to discover it took a ton of configuration changes to eliminate ads and performance decayed over time to the extent it would take five or more seconds to open a simple, small PDF after it had been installed for a month.  FoxIt has neither of these limitations and has been an entirely capable general-purpose PDF viewer.  There isn't really any reason to use Reader/Acrobat anymore now that the key PDF patents have expired.

I'm not sure about Okular or Foxit, but I know the NYS tax PDFs don't work in Sumatra (which is what I used on my Windows 7 laptop).  I suspect they have code to detect what they're opened with and throw the error message if it's anything other than Adobe.  For what it's worth, I just use the built-in document reader for most everything.  I only use Adobe (at home, anyways) for this.

[bwana39]

Did you not see demolition man? Everyone will wear the stupid thing on your wrist and it will be phone, wallet, ID, and the whole shooting match.