The reason why a tax program goes through their server - not the IRS - is because the IRS data is confidential. If you snail mail the form, only IRS people (or their contractors) handle it. And a data transporter - USPS - does not view or own the data. Therefore it is (should be) confidential.

For example, who owns your e-mail? If through the company server, then the company owns it. You have no secrets. To further understand the problem, see another discussion about Net Neutrality - the difference between a data transporter and data provider:
The internet is over!
Another aspect of what I believe has yet to be properly answered at the highest levels of government - who owns what data. A discussion this nation really has not yet taken seriously. By their actions, Comcast may become riled in that controversy.

To have access to your IRS information, it must go through their server. A form submitted to the IRS only goes on IRS equipment.

Ah, so that's why it goes to a third party, so they can collect their fee, that had me really puzzled. :smack:

I have never typed a credit card number into my computer. I think I'm correct in saying that I've never typed my real name into my computer. Or my address, for that matter. As far as taxes go, I've been lucky enough to be able to use form 1040EZ. Literally five minutes to fill out. (Why do 'fill out' and 'fill in' mean the same thing?) I then MAIL the form to the Infernal Revenue. And, if they're patient enough to wait to get it, I'm patient enough to wait for my check. Yes, I know there are literally uncountable ways that, too, can go wrong, but it ain't happened yet. The man in the white coat says I'm resistant to change, so, I ain't gonna.