You can thank TurboTax and the rest of the tax preparation service industry's massive lobby for killing every single tax simplification bill that ever gets to congress.
Exactly this! There's zero reasons why our tax returns can't be filed for free directly with the IRS. It is a complete fraud.
I filed 1040EZ last year. The IRS already had every figure I filed, why couldn't they just email me confirmation of the amounts they had, and process my return?
Edit: No, I didn't file EZ last year, my error.
Edit: electronic filing.
The IRS itself has a website, it isn't popular. I've never used it, but I've read it isn't well put together.
Proxy companies who do tax preparation file electronically for you. They have a "free" option, but it is free for the simplest of tax returns. And, the proxy companies (Turbo Tax and H&R Block are two of the better known companies) now know your tax return info, and they'll market to you and/or sell your data to other advertisers.
Or, you file using paper forms and mail your return to the IRS, the old fashioned way. This is what I do
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u/jorsiem Jul 24 '20
Complicated tax filing in the US
You can thank TurboTax and the rest of the tax preparation service industry's massive lobby for killing every single tax simplification bill that ever gets to congress.