The Trump administration plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program. That's the electronic system for filing tax returns directly to the agency for free.

The Trump administration plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program, an electronic system for filing tax returns directly to the agency for free, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The program developed during Joe Biden’s presidency was credited by users with making tax filing easy, fast and economical.

But Republican lawmakers and commercial tax preparation companies complained it was a waste of taxpayer money because free filing programs already exist, although they are hard to use.

  • benignintervention@lemmy.world
    353·
    6 months ago

    What’s great about this is nothing. I tried to use it last week and the site was down already. It said “for maintenance” but for 3 straight days at the peak of tax season?

    • Bwaz@lemmy.world
      3·
      6 months ago

      Worked great for me, but I did it in March. Saved me hundreds and it was less work for me than gathering records and getting them to HRBlock was in 2024. But yeah, discontinue an already developed program while spending a ghastly amount of money on a military parade honoring a felon traitor.

  • ChristmasApe@discuss.online
    311·
    6 months ago

    Had to be a difficult choice for the administration.

    Keep the system that makes it easy for people to give you their tax dollars to steal vs. make it more difficult for them to fork over the cash, but you get to charge them to do it.

  • TreeGhost@lemm.ee
    14·
    6 months ago

    If we actually cared about government waste in the US, we would go after the insurance and tax prep companies. Fucking leaches on society. They only exist to siphon money from people.

  • AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works
    12·
    6 months ago

    I’m just going to see how long I can go without actually filing, maybe the country will completely collapse first.

  • neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    4·
    6 months ago

    I’m far from rich and i had to pay $250. To have my taxes done by an accountant. I could not figure out how to do what I needed to do with the free tax software.

    It’s so over complicated.

    • Default_Defect@midwest.socialEnglish
      5·
      6 months ago

      Do you have a bunch of extra stuff that complicates it? My mom only needed help finding where to access it and filed hers and her fiance’s no problem and she’s the type that I have to remind how to use the remote shes been using for over a year.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      4·
      6 months ago

      If you’re using the standard deduction, you’re wasting money by not just doing it yourself. Takes like 30 min.

      • neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        2·
        6 months ago

        No, I have business expenses that need to be calculated. The service I used in the past changed their layout and I could not find where to enter business expenses and they never responded to my request for help.

        So, I started over and eventually found where to enter the expenses, but I was not sure I was doing it right and then the site said I was reporting a loss for the year, which was not correct, so I just gave up.

        There just needs to be a "How much were your business expenses and how much did you earn?

  • guldukat@lemmy.world
    14·
    6 months ago

    I’ve used a few “free” filing programs. You finally get to the end and ready to submit then bam, for some reason you have to pay

    • IamtheMorgz@lemmy.world
      9·
      6 months ago

      I’ve used free tax USA for years. I don’t pay for filing my fed, just my state. But my taxes tend to be pretty simple, so I guess ymmv

      • Lka1988@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        7·
        6 months ago

        Another for freetaxusa, I’ve only ever paid for state filing, and it’s like $15. Worth it. They offer various “services” that naturally cost extra, but they’re all optional. Never had an issue.

    • humorlessrepost@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      6 months ago

      What kind of SovCit crap is this?

      The IRS doesn’t need a warrant to issue a levy. And once they do, they’ll garnish your wages, can take money from your bank/retirement accounts, and can seize and auction your personal property including vehicles and real estate.

      • blacklisted@lemmy.orgEnglish
        6·
        6 months ago

        Exactly. But right now they are gutting the IRS 50% of its workforce with the ultimate goal of abolishing the service. Once that happens, the government will be taking in revenue via go fund me. I’ll change to zero withholding of/when that happens.

        If that happens, you’d be a fool not to change your withholding to zero because your employer would have every incentive to steal your withholding because the IRS is not there to enforce the business to pay your payroll taxes over to the federal government.

        • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          6·
          6 months ago

          Unless you’re able to afford a stable of lawyers to protect you from an audit, you are low hanging fruit, and the IRS will absolutely still go after you.

          It wouldn’t surprise me if they put some fucking AI in charge of that part of the Agency to choose the easiest targets.

    • Pennomi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      6 months ago

      Since when has Trump ever made a decision based on whether it was a good idea? His only qualification for decisions is whether he personally benefits.

    • spacelick@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
      3·
      6 months ago

      This is totally offbrand for Trump

      I don’t understand why Trump is doing anything other than trying to cancel it

      Did you just read the headline and totally misunderstand it? The Trump administration plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program.