If you're like most Americans, you spent hours and several hundred dollars preparing your taxes. But did you know those tax returns you submitted mainly contained information already in the possession of the IRS? You shouldn't have to spend time and money telling the IRS what it already knows.

Tell Congress to enact a free tax filing system.

Taxes pay for essential public services, like health care, food assistance, and housing. Paying taxes is our civic duty. The government's duty is to make tax filing as easy and inexpensive as possible.

Let Congress know you support having the IRS provide a free tax filing system for everyone

The only reason why we don't have a free tax filing system in this country is because of the power of the tax preparation industry. They have used all kinds of tricks to keep our tax system complicated and expensive. Their shareholders and highly paid executives win from this system; the rest of us lose.

Having a free tax filing system is not rocket science. At last count, 36 countries, including Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, have some kind of free tax filing system.

Please contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to support legislation to establish a free tax filing system.