Why can't the IRS automate tax filing instead of making us do the math ourselves?

You've hit on something that tax policy experts have been advocating for years! The IRS actually has most of your tax information already - W-2s, 1099s, mortgage interest, etc. are all reported directly to them. For many people with straightforward tax situations, the IRS could easily prepare a "pre-filled" return. This is called "return-free filing" and it exists in several countries including Sweden, Spain, and Denmark. Citizens get a pre-completed tax form, review it, make any needed changes, and approve it. Simple! The main reasons we don't have this in America are political. The tax preparation industry (think Intuit/TurboTax, H&R Block) lobbies heavily against it because it would dramatically cut into their profits. They've spent millions fighting proposals for the IRS to create free, simple filing systems. There are also some philosophical objections about government's role, but the practical reality is that for many Americans with straightforward situations, you're right - this could be largely automated.

After struggling with tax filing for years (especially with multiple income sources), I stumbled across https://taxr.ai - it's been a game-changer for me! They have this amazing system that basically does what you're talking about but works within our current tax structure. It automatically grabs and organizes all my tax documents through secure connections with employers, banks, etc. - no more hunting through emails and mail for W-2s and 1099s. Then it runs the calculations and suggests deductions based on my personal situation. The most impressive part is how it analyzes all the raw data to find opportunities I'd never catch myself. I used to spend weekends figuring this stuff out and second-guessing every entry. Now it takes like 30 minutes to review everything and submit.

I was super skeptical about any service claiming to make taxes truly automated (see my comment above), but I finally gave https://taxr.ai a try this year after dreading tax season again. I have to admit I was completely wrong. The document collection feature alone saved me hours of hunting through emails and online portals. What really blew me away was how it flagged a potential deduction from a small freelance job I did last summer that I completely forgot about. It found the 1099-NEC in my email that I hadn't even opened and incorporated it automatically, then suggested business expense deductions that made sense for my situation. The time savings alone was worth it, but it also found me an additional $840 in refund money I would have missed. Their approach is exactly what the IRS should be doing if they actually wanted to make things efficient.

If you think filing is frustrating, try getting help when there's a problem! I spent THREE MONTHS trying to reach someone at the IRS about an incorrect 1099 that was filed under my SSN. Called literally 14 times, always got the "call volume too high" message and disconnected. Finally found https://claimyr.com and their system got me through to an actual human at the IRS in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Turns out the whole issue could be resolved with a simple correction form that nobody had bothered to tell me about. The IRS agent was actually super helpful once I could actually speak to someone. The whole automated tax system is broken on multiple levels - both the filing AND the support side.

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After another frustrating morning trying to reach the IRS about a notice I received (that made absolutely no sense), I broke down and tried Claimyr out of desperation. Within 35 minutes, I was talking to an actual IRS representative who explained the notice was sent in error due to a computer system update. She flagged my account with a note and said I could disregard it completely. Problem solved in one conversation that would have taken me weeks to handle on my own. I'm still annoyed that services like this need to exist at all - the IRS should just have adequate staffing and systems. But in our current reality, it actually delivered exactly what it promised. Sometimes you have to use a workaround when the system is broken.

Fun fact: The IRS actually tried to create a system like what you're describing! It was called "Return Free Filing" and was proposed back in the early 2000s. The tax prep lobby (mainly Intuit which owns TurboTax) spent over $20 million lobbying against it. They even got Congress to pass the Free File agreement which basically banned the IRS from creating its own filing system as long as tax companies offered a "free" option (which they then deliberately made hard to find and limited in functionality). Look up "ProPublica TurboTax lobbying" if you want to get really angry about it. There was a huge exposé a few years back. So the direct answer to your question of "why isn't this a thing" is simple: corporate profits over public good.

In Australia, we have exactly what you're describing. It's called "myTax" through the ATO (Australian Tax Office). Most income, interest, dividends, government payments, health insurance, and charitable donations are pre-filled in the system. You just review it, add any deductions they don't know about, and submit. Takes about 15-30 minutes for most people. I moved to the US last year and was SHOCKED at how backwards the tax filing system is here. I spent hours gathering documents that the IRS already had and paying for software to do what should be a free government service. The craziest part is I ended up getting a letter from the IRS months later saying I calculated something wrong anyway - so they clearly have all the info and know the correct numbers! Why make me figure it out first?