HBR: Does Tax Time Need To Be So Taxing?

The Commissioner of the IRS uses a paid preparer for his tax return…..Really?

So, I ask again, what’s going on? Here’s one possibility: Over the years, the government turned the tax code over to technical experts, who wrote the regulations, forms, and processes in their own language without regard for the end-user, the citizen, who would be required to use them. As the language and process became more and more arcane, fewer end-users could actually do their own taxes, so an industry of “tax preparers” formed to provide an interface between the tax payer and the taxing authorities. It is estimated that there are at least one million tax preparers in the United States; and that this year 60% of all taxpayers will use a professional and another 20% will use tax preparation software (another industry). In essence, the government has created a process for citizens that most citizens can’t navigate.