The IRS is going to test a free online tax prep service next year
breaks down how hard it would be to develop direct filing options, what it would cost, and a survey of taxpayer opinions about the program. Ultimately, the IRS concluded that “many taxpayers are interested in using a free IRS-provided tool” to do their taxes and that creating one is within its capabilities, provided it gets sustained representation in the government’s budget.
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel, who submitted the report to Congress, was quoted in the release as saying government-run Direct File programs are common in other countries: “The IRS is committed to delivering significantly improved services by providing taxpayers with tools, information and assistance to make it easier to comply with their tax filing obligations. Direct File – used by numerous tax jurisdictions around the world – has long been discussed as an option for improving the customer experience for taxpayers in the U.S.,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.
This news is the latest chapter in an ongoing saga that has its most recent roots in a bombshell 2019that detailed how e-filing companies like TurboTax creator Intuit had been working to prevent the public from accessing free, easy filing alternatives. In a nutshell, ProPublica showed the ways companies like Intuit reneged on an agreement with the IRS where they promised to give free direct file options to low- to middle-income taxpayers, all in exchange for the IRS not creating its own such program.
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