FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2008
 
CONTACT:
Kate Bedingfield
603 647 2008 (o)

kbedingfield@jeanneshaheen.org

Caitlin Legacki
603 647 2008 (o)/ clegacki@jeanneshaheen.org

JEANNE SHAHEEN UNVEILS PLAN TO SIMPLIFY TAX FILING PROCESS

(Manchester, NH) —Former Governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen announced today a proposal that would drastically simplify the tax filing process for millions of Americans. 

Shaheen proposed a simplified, one-page tax return called RapidReturn that will simplify the process of filing a 1040-EZ. Americans spend $2 billion annually and an estimated one-third of EZ filers pay a tax preparer, even though they are filling out the easiest form available. [IRS, 2005; GAO, 2006; Goolsbee, 2006]

"The process is frustrating, expensive and unnecessarily complicated," Shaheen said.  "We need to simplify the filing process for middle class families. That's why today I'm proposing a simplified, one-page tax return I'm calling RapidReturn that would make paying your taxes as simple as signing and returning the form to the IRS."

Shaheen believes our current complicated system is costing billions in wasted time and money.  RapidReturn is one more way to cut down on wasteful spending and put money back in the pockets of New Hampshire's families.

With RapidReturn, the IRS will fill in all the information it already has, such as household size, wages and interest income.  Taxpayers who use RapidReturn will only have to sign the bottom of their returns and send the form back to the IRS.

For taxpayers who take the standard deduction and do not itemize, RapidReturn will be as simple as paying a credit card bill.  The RapidReturn program is voluntary and any taxpayers who wish to fill out their own forms could continue to do so. 

For more information or to see an example of what RapidReturn would look like, please visit www.JeanneShaheen.org.