It's worth pointing out that Sweden has been doing the "simplified tax return" with all information prefilled for, IIRC, about 20 years. Internet filing is newer, but the basic method is really old.
It's really quite unfathomable to me how behind the U.S. is on these things (that and banking comes to mind). But maybe it's just the entrenched interests that are doing their damnedest to stop this from happening. It seems that here's one example when you can't argue that corporations are "adding value"; they have been making money due to the primitive IRS system and now they think they're entitled to it.
I pay my rent with check. That's the only way my landlord wants it (no cash, or any electronic way). I've seen (though rare) people paying with cash in stores (I live in LA).
It's really quite unfathomable to me how behind the U.S. is on these things (that and banking comes to mind). But maybe it's just the entrenched interests that are doing their damnedest to stop this from happening. It seems that here's one example when you can't argue that corporations are "adding value"; they have been making money due to the primitive IRS system and now they think they're entitled to it.