New tax form is smaller, but filing is no simpler

The Trump administration may deliver on its promise to reduce a commonly used tax form to postcard size, but it does not shrink the workload for many Americans filling out their taxes.

A draft copy of the new 1040 income tax form given to The Associated Press by a staffer on the Ways & Means Committee shows that the form will be reduced from two full pages to a doublesided half page. But the legwork to claim many popular deductions and provide other critical information has been moved to one of six accompanying worksheets.

The postcard-sized form was a big selling point for the administration during its promotion of the divisive new tax law — President Donald Trump even kissed a version of the postcard at one meeting to show his approval. Experts say that while the law does simplify the process for some Americans, many will still have to go through the same hoops to complete their taxes with this new format.

The tax law greatly increases the standard deduction, meaning that millions of Americans will claim the deduction and skip the timeconsuming process of itemizing on their taxes. The Tax Policy Center estimates that about 27 million fewer taxpayers will itemize under the new law.

The supplemental paperwork would be needed to make common tax moves, such as reporting an educator expense or claiming a deduction for interest paid on a student loan, as well as reporting childcare expenses and retirement savings contribution credits.

“Don’t confuse creating a postcard with simplifying a tax filing; it’s not the same thing at all,” said Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

Gleckman said that most taxpayers are going to have to fill out one, if not more of the new accompanying forms.