Comment by laurencerowe

The UK has had internet filing for self-assessment taxes since July 2000 [1]. I started doing freelance web consulting around them while at university and filed online. It was considerably easier than filing my taxes in the US is now! (Most people in the UK don't have to file taxes at all since the right amount of tax is withheld by their employer.)

While the UK might not have been the first, there was a big push to move government services online over the 2000s. I think this may have been easier than in other countries since so many services were run by post rather than requiring you to go to a particular government office.

Opening a bank account became much more difficult in the early 2000s because of the money laundering/terrorism financing legislation. It became a real pain for international students when I worked in a student union back then.

The liberal resistance to ID cards in Britain was more reasonable before it became required to prove your identity so often. Not having an ID card has become a bit of a pain now, especially for elderly people who may not have a driving licence or current passport.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fascinating-facts-about-s...