So I get this nifty lavender advertisement in the mail from the IRS. It tells me, in several different forms, that I can now get a PIN to file my federal tax return on-line. It alludes that one can simply go to a webpage and fill in the silly numbers and bingo. Your tax return is file. For those of you still clinging to this fantasy let me spell it out for you. YOU CAN'T!

The IRS is apparently not allowed to compete with independant tax preparaion companies. I understand this. But this seems to mean that even though the IRS has been letting people Tele-File with them for years, and paper file with them for decades, they cannot allow people file on-line with them. You MUST use a tax preparer. This is quite lame. I do not understand why they cannot offer a webpage where you type in all the silly numbers you normally do on the paper form. Especially if you intend to use the 1040A or 1040EZ.

So in an effort to boycott this insanity I guess it's off to the library with me to get good ole' pencil and paper.

Ah... progress.