Center for Federal Tax Policy

Individual Tax Compliance and Complexity

The full cost of a tax system is more than simply the amount of tax paid. It also includes the cost of tax planning and paperwork. Economists call these “tax compliance” costs, and the IRS estimates Americans spend 6.6 billion hours per year filling out tax forms—including 1.6 billion hours on the 1040 form alone.

Questionable Moments in Tax History: Why the Word “Hoensbroek” is in IRS Instruction Booklets

June 6, 2014

How Many Words are in the Tax Code?

April 15, 2014

2,999 Americans Renounced U.S. Citizenship in 2013

February 7, 2014

Baucus Administrative Reforms Target Bank Accounts as a “Closing the Tax Gap” Measure

December 17, 2013

Twelve Steps toward a Simpler, Pro-Growth Tax Code

October 30, 2013

Ripe for Reform: Improper EITC Payments Exceed $11 Billion per Year

October 23, 2013

The Income Tax Code Spans More than 70,000 Pages

October 23, 2013

A Lot Has Changed in the 27 Years Since the Last Major Tax Reform

October 22, 2013

World Economic Forum: U.S. Still Sliding

September 17, 2013

Another Reminder of the Poor Design of Obamacare’s Medical Device Tax

July 8, 2013

Additional Obamacare Delays Could Be Expensive

July 8, 2013

Murray’s Budget: No Real Reform in Sight

March 19, 2013

Dave Camp Floats a Rewrite of Small Business Tax Rules

March 14, 2013

Compliance with ObamaCare Estimated to Take 127.6 Million Hours

February 8, 2013

EITC Awareness Day

January 28, 2013

The IRS: Still Over “Liening”?

January 16, 2013

A Stark Reminder of the Excessive Cost of Complying with the Tax Code

January 15, 2013

The Carrot Rebellion

November 13, 2012

Congressman Nunes Proposes a Bold New Approach to Taxing Business

October 12, 2012

Politifact Perpetuates Commonly Held Misconceptions about International Taxation

October 9, 2012