Elon Musk’s DOGE reportedly wants to kill the IRS tool that makes filing free for American taxpayers

The Trump administration plans to get rid of the IRS direct file program, an electronic system to submit tax declarations directly to the agency for free, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The program, which was developed during the presidency of Joe Biden, was credited by users by providing an easy, fast and economic tax deposit. But Republican lawmakers and commercial tax preparation companies complained that it was a waste of taxpayers’ money because free deposit programs are already, although it is difficult to use.

The program has been in a state of forgetfulness since the Trump administration began, as Elon Musk and the Ministry of Governmental efficiency have cut their way through the federal government. Musk was published in February on its social media website, X, that it “deleted” 18f, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the direct file.

There was some hope that Musk, with his DOGE team of computer programmers, could take a direct file and improve it. But the two persons familiar with the decision to end the direct file said that his future became clear when the tax authority staff appointed to the program was informed in mid -March to stop working on its development for the 2026 tax deposit season.

The two persons were not allowed to discuss plans publicly and spoke to the Associated Press, provided that his identity was not disclosed.

“The reform was initially,” said Adam Robin, vice president of the liberal economic security project.

“It is angry to see daily taxpayers who do not play any role in this decision,” he said. “Reducing costs and saving money for families was just promises free of campaign.”

But David Williams, head of the Tax Protection Alliance, who describes himself as a non -partisan organization that publishes research and analyzes the effects of the government on the economy. According to IRS 423,450, taxpayers recorded entering a direct file and 140,803 acceptable returns in 2024.

“From the hidden costs to the confusion of taxpayers, the program is full of issues,” Williams said.

The direct file was launched as a pilot program in 2024 after the Tax Authority was assigned to research how to create a “direct file” system as part of the money it received from the law reduced the law signed in 2022. The Democratic Administration spent tens of millions of dollars on the development of the program.

Last May, the agency announced that the program will always be.

However, the Tax Authority faced an intense reaction to direct files from private tax preparation companies that made billions of dollars to impose fees on people to use their programs and millions spent pressure on congress. The average American usually spends about $ 140 to prepare revenues every year.

“The direct file is the solution and was a solution to search for a problem, and to spend on the resources of the critical tax department and waste taxpayers dollars.”

The Tax Authority accepted 140,803 returns provided by taxpayers using a direct file in the 12 states where the last tax season was available. It was expanded to include half of the country this year. It is not clear that the number of taxpayers who used a direct file this year.

“The decision was a betrayal of public confidence at a time when the government should show its ability to provide basic services effectively,” said Amanda Renneria, CEO of Code For America, who worked with the Tax Authority to establish an integration program to deposit the state tax for the direct file.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. And he is a supporter of building a direct file, in a statement sent via e-mail that Trump and Mousics “will follow the direct file because it prevents giant tax preparatory companies from tearing the taxpayers for services that must be free. Americans want a free and easy way to provide their taxes-Trump wants to get rid of it.”

This story was originally shown on Fortune.com

Don’t miss more hot News like this! Click here to discover the latest in Business news!

2025-04-16 20:32:00