[pandapower2]

Serious question from a non-American. Do you actually have to fill that out as part of doing your tax return?

[froindt]

That's the bare minimum you'll have to fill out. If you have investment accounts, you tack on more forms. If you have an inheritance, there's more paperwork. If you withdraw from your retirement accounts, you could have more.

[MatthewMcDonald]

not to mention filing state returns

[pandapower2]

WTF? I honestly had no idea that state returns were a thing.

[bane]

This is for very simple cases. It doesn't take much before you end up with hours upon hours of paperwork (usually because of property ownership or investments or similar).

[magashna]

Filing taxes is notoriously obtuse.

[astura]

If you do your taxes manually, yes. What the software does is fill out the form for them.