IRS’ free tax filing program is at risk amid Trump scrutiny
The IRS’ free tax filing program is in jeopardy as the agency faces continued cuts from the Trump administration.
After a limited pilot launch in 2024, the program, known as Direct File, expanded to more than 30 million taxpayers across 25 states for the 2025 filing season.
Funded under the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, the program has been heavily scrutinized by Republicans, who have criticized the cost and participation rate. Over the past year, Republican lawmakers from both chambers have introduced legislation to halt the IRS’ free filing program.
Now, some reports say Direct File could be at risk. Meanwhile, no decision has been made yet about the program’s future, according to a White House administration official.
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During his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent committed to keeping Direct File active during the 2025 filing season without commenting on future years.
“I will consult and study the program and understand it better and make sure it works to serve the IRS’ three goals of collections, customer service and privacy,” Bessent told the Senate Finance Committee at the hearing.
However, the future of the free tax filing program remains unclear.
As of April 17, the Direct File website said the program would be open until Oct. 15, which is the deadline for taxpayers who filed for a federal tax extension.
Many taxpayers can also file for free via another program known as IRS Free File, which is a public-private partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, a nonprofit coalition of tax software companies.
The IRS in May 2024 extended the Free File program through 2029.
Direct File supporters on Wednesday blasted the possible decision to end the program.
“No one should have to pay huge fees just to file their taxes,” Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement on Wednesday.
Wyden described the program as “a massive success, saving taxpayers millions in fees, saving them time and cutting out an unnecessary middleman.”
In January, more than 130 Democrats, led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Coons, D-Del., voiced support for Direct File.
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However, opponents have criticized the program’s participation rate and cost.
During the 2024 pilot, some 423,450 taxpayers created or signed in to a Direct File account. Roughly one-third of those taxpayers, about 141,000 filers, submitted a return through Direct File, according to a March report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Those figures represent a mid-season 2024 launch in 12 states for only simple returns. It’s unclear how many taxpayers used Direct File through the April 15 deadline.
The cost for Direct File through the pilot was $24.6 million, the IRS reported in May 2024. Direct File operational costs were an extra $2.4 million, according to the agency.
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