Republicans wants to make filing taxes as easy as mailing a postcard — but there's a flaw in the plan

pulse

April 26, 2017 8:56 PM

A post card tax return seems easy, but it will most likely require a lot of math.

null

Post card tax returns are all the rage in the Republican party, but they may have a more complicated impact than they seem.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said during an event for The Hill on Wednesday that Trump's huge tax plan's goal is to allow Americans to "do their taxes on a large post card."

This follows years of Republicans from Paul Ryan to Ted Cruz to Ways and Mean Committee Chair Rep. Kevin Brady advocating for a similar post card return.

While the idea of a simple form on which to file your taxes sounds great, it may actually more intricate than it first appears.

Roberton Williams at the Urban Institute's Tax Policy Center wrote in June 2016, after Ryan's Better Way plan released an example of the post card tax return, that the form seems to require only a few numbers but in fact could force you to do more calculations than you'd think.

pulse