Yep -- this is some pretty evil rent-seeking.  Unfortunately, disrupting it (i.e. automatic filing) requires political action rather than tech.  For people with a single wage&#x2F;salary job, the IRS already has a good idea what they owe thanks to their employers&#x27; reporting.  IRS could simply mail them &quot;we think $X is what you made, and $Y is what you owe,&quot; and they could either say &quot;okay&quot; if they agree, or fill out the forms otherwise.