You can file 1040EZ if you don&#x27;t have any deductions, and it&#x27;s pretty simple. Probably simple enough for the IRS to pre-compute it for you.<p>If you want to claim deductions (healthcare expenses, mortgage interest, charitable donations, etc) you need the full 1040. It&#x27;s still pretty easy, but you would at least need to tell the IRS what those deductions are before they can compute your taxes.<p>I think the really complex stuff doesn&#x27;t kick in until you have a complex scenario and you want to completely optimize it. I had a complex tax return one year when I got a large stock grant. Every other year it&#x27;s taken 2-4 hours to finish a 1040 with some normal deductions.<p>2-4 hours is way more than I want to spend, but also not enough to get me motivated to fight for simpler tax codes.