The basic form is only two half-pages, not 8. The other 6 pages are schedules that some (most) income-earning, interest-paying, dividend-earning people have to include. If you are unemployed, or underemployed, not collecting unemployment compensation, OR have a very low income (including dividend income or income from sales of stocks/bonds), aren't collecting social security or medicare benefits, are not disabled, and aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else, then the form is only the two half-pages long. So basically, if you're a college grad working at Burger King, have 4 roommates sharing the rent, mom and dad don't help financially, and your first student loan bill hasn't come in yet - then you only have to fill out the main form which is two half-pages long.
For most of the rest of the country, it is MUCH more complicated than it was last year. Hope no one here is surprised to learn that.
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