Postcard-Sized Tax Form on Permanent Vacation After a Year

Republicans touted a postcard-sized individual tax form as they tried to sell the 2017 tax overhaul to the public—that vision was short-lived.

The IRS ditched the smaller Form 1040 after one filing season, bending to pressure from outside groups and tax professionals who complained it created unnecessary complications.

“The postcard was a mess,” said Ryan Ellis, a conservative tax lobbyist who also owns and operates a tax preparation service in the Washington, D.C. area.

Before 2018, the 1040 form was the size of two full sheets of paper. To create a smaller tax filing form, the Treasury Department moved some ...