diff --git a/src/cascade/frontend/ast_visitors/simplify_returns.py b/src/cascade/frontend/ast_visitors/simplify_returns.py
index 443d1b9..d4205d7 100644
--- a/src/cascade/frontend/ast_visitors/simplify_returns.py
+++ b/src/cascade/frontend/ast_visitors/simplify_returns.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+from typing import Any
 from klara.core.ssa_visitors import AstVisitor
 from klara.core import nodes
 
 def simplify_returns(node):
     sr = SimplifyReturns.replace(node)
-    for parent, n, target in sr.inserts:
+
+    # Add the new assign nodes to the parent after the ast visit is complete
+    for parent, n, target in sr.new_nodes:
         try:
             i = parent.body.index(n)
             parent.body.insert(i, target)
@@ -15,15 +18,19 @@ def simplify_returns(node):
                 raise e
 
 class SimplifyReturns(AstVisitor):
-    """Replace attributes with "self" into "state", and remove SSA versioning.
+    """Put return statments in ANF form.
+
+    Examples:
 
-    e.g.:
-    self_0.balance_0 -> state.balance
+    `return x+3`            ->  `__ret_0 = x + 3; return __ret_0`
+    `return self.balance`   ->  `__ret_1 = self.balance; return __ret_1`
+    `return cat`            ->  `return cat`
     """
        
     def __init__(self):
         self.temps = 0
-        self.inserts = []
+        # (return_node parent block, modified return_node, new assign_node)
+        self.new_nodes: list[tuple[Any, nodes.Return, nodes.Assign]] = []
 
     @classmethod
     def replace(cls, node):
@@ -41,8 +48,7 @@ def replace_name(self, node: nodes.Return):
         node.value.postinit(target.id)
         
         assert hasattr(node.parent, "body"), type(node.parent)
-        print(f"replacing {node} in {node.parent} with {new_assign}")
-        self.inserts.append((node.parent, node, new_assign))
+        self.new_nodes.append((node.parent, node, new_assign))
 
     def visit_return(self, node: nodes.Return):
 
diff --git a/src/cascade/preprocessing.py b/src/cascade/preprocessing.py
index 8ef0449..35aede9 100644
--- a/src/cascade/preprocessing.py
+++ b/src/cascade/preprocessing.py
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 def setup_cfg(code: str, preprocess=True) -> tuple[Cfg, nodes.Module]:
     as_tree = AstBuilder().string_build(code)
     cfg = Cfg(as_tree)
-    cfg.convert_to_ssa()
     if preprocess:
+        cfg.convert_to_ssa()
         ReplaceSelfWithState.replace(as_tree)
         simplify_returns(as_tree)
     # TODO: do this in preprocessing
diff --git a/tests/frontend/ast_visitors/test_simplify_returns.py b/tests/frontend/ast_visitors/test_simplify_returns.py
index 02199b7..89712d1 100644
--- a/tests/frontend/ast_visitors/test_simplify_returns.py
+++ b/tests/frontend/ast_visitors/test_simplify_returns.py
@@ -1,48 +1,37 @@
 from cascade.frontend.ast_visitors.simplify_returns import SimplifyReturns, simplify_returns
 from cascade.frontend.generator.unparser import unparse
 from cascade.preprocessing import setup_cfg
-from klara.core import nodes
-from klara.core.tree_rewriter import AstBuilder
-from klara.core.cfg import Cfg
 
-def setup_cfg_no_ssa(code: str) -> Cfg:
-    as_tree = AstBuilder().string_build(code)
-    cfg = Cfg(as_tree)
-    return cfg, as_tree
 
 def test_simplify_return_state():
     code = "return self.balance"
-    cfg, tree = setup_cfg_no_ssa(code)
-    for s in tree.get_statements():
-        print(repr(s))
-    sr = SimplifyReturns.replace(tree)
+    cfg, tree = setup_cfg(code, preprocess=False)
+
     simplify_returns(tree)
 
-    for s in tree.get_statements():
-        print(repr(s))
+    new = [unparse(s) for s in tree.get_statements()]
+    assert new == ["__ret_0 = self.balance", "return __ret_0"]
+    
         
 def test_simplify_return_name():
     code = "return cat"
-    cfg, tree = setup_cfg_no_ssa(code)
-    for s in tree.get_statements():
-        print(repr(s))
-    sr = SimplifyReturns.replace(tree)
+    cfg, tree = setup_cfg(code, preprocess=False)
+
     simplify_returns(tree)
 
-    for s in tree.get_statements():
-        print(repr(s))
+    new = [unparse(s) for s in tree.get_statements()]
+    assert new == ["return cat"]
 
 def test_simplify_return_binop():
     code = """a = 1
-return 4+1"""
-    cfg, tree = setup_cfg_no_ssa(code)
+return 4 + 1"""
+    cfg, tree = setup_cfg(code, preprocess=False)
+
 
-    for s in tree.get_statements():
-        print(repr(s))
     simplify_returns(tree)
 
-    for s in tree.get_statements():
-        print(repr(s))
+    new = [unparse(s) for s in tree.get_statements()]
+    assert new == ["a = 1", "__ret_0 = 4 + 1", "return __ret_0"]
 
 def test_simplify_return_multiple():
     code = """a = 1
@@ -50,11 +39,10 @@ def test_simplify_return_multiple():
     return 3 + 2
 else:
     return a"""
-    cfg, tree = setup_cfg_no_ssa(code)
+    cfg, tree = setup_cfg(code, preprocess=False)
 
-    for b in tree.get_statements():
-        print(repr(b))
     simplify_returns(tree)
 
-    for b in tree.get_statements():
-        print(repr(b))
\ No newline at end of file
+    new = [unparse(s) for s in tree.get_statements()]
+    # if statements aren't returned in get_statements
+    assert new == ["a = 1", "__ret_0 = 3 + 2", "return __ret_0", "return a"]
\ No newline at end of file