You can file 1040EZ if you don't have any deductions, and it's pretty simple. Probably simple enough for the IRS to pre-compute it for you. If you want to clai

You can file 1040EZ if you don't have any deductions, and it's pretty simple. Probably simple enough for the IRS to pre-compute it for you. If you want to claim deductions (healthcare expenses, mortgage interest, charitable donations, etc) you need the full 1040. It's still pretty easy, but you would at least need to tell the IRS what those deductions are before they can compute your taxes. I think the really complex stuff doesn't kick in until you have a complex scenario and you want to completely optimize it. I had a complex tax return one year when I got a large stock grant. Every other year it's taken 2-4 hours to finish a 1040 with some normal deductions. 2-4 hours is way more than I want to spend, but also not enough to get me motivated to fight for simpler tax codes.