Why do we have to fill out a 1040 form? The IRS knows what most people owe. Why don’t they just send us a bill or a refund?
According to Cecil Adams, there are two reasons:
- Conservatives don’t want to make it easier to file your taxes. As long as you despise the process, you might support their “tax reform” (i.e., less taxes for the rich).
- Intuit spends millions on lobbying your legislators to keep things the way they are.
Source: The Straight Dope: Why doesn’t the IRS just send us a tax bill?