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how does the IRS know you only have wage income? if you also have cash or some other income that's not automatically reported then their pre-filled form would be wrong

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They don't, but most tax payers will only have wages, and for them, the no-file system is easier. For those of us with investment income, itemized deductions, or anything else, we do the same as we do now. Still not perfect - my taxes aren't that unusual, but I still feel like I need a CPA to do them some years - but I'll take anything.

Objection--it shouldn't be the same as it is now. Rather, the IRS should mail you the pre-filled portion and you should be able to use any portion of it you can in filing your own taxes.

The pre-filled return should also have a QR code that allows tax programs to obtain the data.

Then you have to do changes to the form yourself. I don't really see the problem. That's how it works in a lot of countries.

But it doesn't work that way now, therefore it can NEVER work that way!

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