Make e-filing free and easy to encourage people to do it

In reference to the article by Mary Mosquera titled "E-filing trails 80 percent goal" in the May 21 issue of Federal Computer Week, she states in the first sentence, "More people are filing their tax returns electronically, but e-filing will fall far short of reaching Congress' goal of having 80 percent of returns filed electronically by 2008." If the Internal Revenue Service and Congress want the public to e-file, then it should not cost the taxpayer any additional money to do so. Having to buy software to get the forms and paying an additional $40 on average is only making private companies richer. If the IRS and Congress truly want Americans to file electronically, they should provide a way to do so directly through the IRS Web site at no additional cost to the taxpayer. A 41-cent stamp is still cheaper than a $40 Quicken or H&R Block tax prep software package.

Anonymous
Bureau of the Public Debt