Current Events > Why doesn't the government automatically file everyone's taxes?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I mean, every part of them that they already have on file, at least. Isnt this stuff way more streamlined in some countries?

Yes, it is. And yes, they can. But like most things in this country, lawmakers get paid very well to not do that.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vGVK4ibMI-Y

Yeah, in NZ if you aren't self-employed or involved in offshore investments, you generally don't have to do anything beyond receive an automatic tax refund or bill at the end of the year. More often a refund than a bill in my experience.

Most countries do not have itemized deductions such as additional taxes paid to other jurisdictions, and deductible items can vary significantly from one year to the next.

IRS also cannot predict if married couples are going to file separately or jointly. If they file separately, they also don't know who's going to claim one or more dependents on their return and if the other is going claim any or none.

IRS also expects you to report any illegal or under-the-table income of which they are not supposed to know about but do anyway to some extent.