Republican lawmakers ask Trump to kill IRS Direct File By Natalie Alms December 11, 2024 02:21 PM ET – NEXTGOV Nearly 30 House Republicans are asking President-elect Donald Trump to stop the IRS free tax filing service, Direct File, on day one of his new administration. {…} Intuit has long lobbied against a government-run system, as ProPublica has documented. It set a new record for itself in lobbying dollars in 2023, according to Open Secrets. Other tax prep companies and trade associations also increased lobbying spend that year. Supporters of Direct File say that it saves Americans time and money in tax filing. People spend 13 hours and $270 on filing taxes annually on average, although that varies for individuals, the IRS estimated last year. That burden means that some people don’t file their taxes and miss out on benefits that are delivered through the tax code, like the Earned Income Tax Credit. Over 9 million people didn’t file returns to get benefits in the 2022 cycle, according to the IRS.
Letter to reps:
Keep and expand the IRS free tax filing “Direct File” service. We need this as a permanent option. It just makes sense.
Please feel free to copy or repurpose the contents of my letter for your own letters to reps.