1194) that would require the IRS to create a free online tax preparation service.Ĭarl Davis, director of research at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said he supports such an idea. Warren has previously introduced a bill ( S. “The IRS should not rely on giant companies that rip off taxpayers for essential filing services,” Warren said in a tweet Friday.
Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the IRS commissioned a review of the program and added new protections for taxpayers. Other Options?Īmid pushback from lawmakers such as Sen. The Free File program has drawn scrutiny in recent years, following a ProPublica investigation into companies, including Intuit and H&R Block, that hid free-filing options and steered customers toward paid products. “At some point, if you give too much of it away, then you’re not going to make a profit and it’s easier to step out.”
“Both of them make wonderful software, and the government is basically saying ‘You’ve got to give it away for free and these are our rules,’” he said. “I think it doesn’t bode well for Free File in the long run,” said Jeff Trinca, vice president of Van Scoyoc Associates in Washington and legislative counsel for the National Association of Enrolled Agents. The program’s limitations and demands from “those outside the program” means the company can’t continue to participate and “deliver all of the benefits that can help consumers make more money, save more, and invest for the future,” a blog post announcing the decision said. Intuit, which participated in the program for nearly 20 years, said online this week it is leaving the program. The departure of Intuit marks a second major tax preparation company to leave the alliance: H&R Block exited in 2020. Intuit Inc., the maker of TurboTax, is leaving an IRS program that offers millions of Americans the ability to file their taxes for free.įor years the federal government has partnered with a cohort of private companies on the Free File program, which makes free online tax preparation and electronic filing services available to individuals who make $72,000 or less a year.