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Question : Do you know how Norwegians fill out their tax returns?
Answer : They don´t.
This is an oversimplification, but years ago Norwegians started to get pre-filled tax returns in the mail. Later they stopped getting them, but instead had to do an OK online. Now even that is not needed. No comment means it is is OK. You can rectify and modify details online, if needed.
The reality is that the government already had most of the data needed for most individuals. Your salary is reported by the company you work for. Your bank details, including anything you have in your accounts, any loans, stocks, bonds, etc., is reported as well. Your kids are known as well. There might be details to add, but most is known. Why waste people´s time filling out details that are already known and risk people making mistakes?
When will the US get there?
@jon I'm not terribly comfortable with the idea of the government knowing about literally all of my assets and cash flows. Is that really how it is in Norway?
I'm fine with the mandatory reporting requirements in the US though (things like capital gains and interest reporting), which is generally enough to fill in a tax return properly, and the USGOV has it.
@joeblubaugh , the US government knows just as much or even more. The only difference is whether the government tells you what it knows, so you can save time. That is all.
Instead you fill in any blanks as needed, but for most there are no blanks to fill in. You select to do the standard deductions instead of itemized, and you are done.
@jon @joeblubaugh note recent "revelations" that the US government buys data from data brokers.
If transactions are not in cash, the government has access