The first tax return, introduced in 1913 as a "temporary tax" to fund World War I, was one page with one page of instructions. The tax code has grown to more than 1,050 forms and 65,000-72,000 pages, depending on the source. Since the last major tax "reform" in 1986, Congress has made more than 15,000 changes to the tax code!
Whether we like it or not, today's tax laws are complicated to the extent that fioing even a simple return can be confusing. It is just too easy to overlook deductions and credits even if using a computer software program such as TurboTax. There's no substitute for the assistance of an experienced tax professional.
Here's what you get...