IRS will pilot free, direct tax filing in 2024::Direct File is a shot across the bows of Turbotax, H&R Block, and others who have resisted free and simple tax filing for decades.
In Canada, unless you have some weird stuff, the tax filing form is smaller than the census. They just need to confirm things that links your accounts. They already have your pay and taxes amounts from your employer, your bank tax statements from your banks, etc. So unless you’re doing something only like 1% of the population does, it’s a two pager online, 20 minutes in and out, that’s it.
That’s not far from the same for simple filings here in the USA. Both my adult kids do their own in about 10-15 min. Maybe less after the first year. This is through TurboTax online.
Also, it’s free as long as you don’t make much or have things like HSA or 401k.
It is a retirement savings plan that most employers offer. You put money in it from your pay period into it, and it is taken out pre-tax, as in your taxes are calculated from your pay during that period after the retirement deduction is taken out (other things are pre-tax also, but 401k is one of them)