[justlurking]

A human being would have to personally look through it themselves if a paper return was mailed to them.

Paper returns are scanned anyway, and OCR is used to convert the numbers on the return into a digital form.

Scanning can introduce errors, so you are more likely to encounter an audit for that reason.

However, it does take time for them to scan it. The clock starts ticking as soon as you file it.

[stevie_d_64]

Of course, there would be no chance of error in either method.../sarc

;-)

This whole discussion gets me to think that I may be in trouble for this years return, because I sold about $5000 in stock options in my IRA to be used for medical purposes only...That is what the manager of my investment account said he would note on the sale of that stock, and the subsequent paperwork he would file with the government...

I would still have to pay taxes on it though, but not a “penalty”, which I kinda believe is still a “tax punishment” because “how dare I benefit now with the money I have tucked away and not used till now for a legitimate need” in the tax law...