In Europe (in most countries as far as I can tell), electronic filing is administered by the government, and it's easy to use (often prefilled for simple situations). As mentioned in the article, in the US, electronic filing is offered for free only to taxpayers below a certain income threshold, and the service is offered by private companies. They often pay themselves back with tax advances at usury rates. I can't help but think that it is another example of how the US tax system is beholden to private interests.