No Result
View All Result
SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLES
  • Login
Sunday, October 5, 2025
TheAdviserMagazine.com
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal
No Result
View All Result
TheAdviserMagazine.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Market Research Business

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

by TheAdviserMagazine
6 months ago
in Business
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Elon Musk’s DOGE reportedly wants to kill the IRS tool that makes filing free for American taxpayers
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LInkedIn



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.

The program had been in limbo since the start of the Trump administration as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have slashed their way through the federal government. Musk posted in February on his social media site, X, that he had “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as Direct File.

There was some hope that Musk, with his DOGE team of computer programmers, could take over Direct File and improve it. But the two people familiar with the decision to end Direct File said its future became clear when the IRS staff assigned to the program were told in mid-March to stop working on its development for the 2026 tax filing season.

The two people were not authorized to publicly discuss the plans and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Adam Ruben, a vice president at the liberal-leaning Economic Security Project, said “the fix was in from the beginning.”

“It is an outrage to see everyday taxpayers play no role in this decision,” he said. “Cutting costs and saving money for families were just empty campaign promises.”

But David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, which describes itself as a nonpartisan organization that disseminates research and analysis on the government’s effects on the economy, said Direct File was “problematic” from day 1, citing the program’s costs and noting that many people who started the process never finished. According to the IRS 423,450 taxpayers logged into Direct File and 140,803 submitted accepted returns in 2024.

“From hidden costs to taxpayer confusion, the program is riddled with issues,” Williams said.

Direct File was rolled out as a pilot program in 2024 after the IRS was tasked with looking into how to create a “direct file” system as part of the money it received from the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by Biden in 2022. The Democratic administration spent tens of millions of dollars developing the program.

Last May, the agency announced that the program would be made permanent.

But the IRS has faced intense blowback to Direct File from private tax preparation companies that have made billions from charging people to use their software and have spent millions lobbying Congress. The average American typically spends about $140 preparing returns each year.

Derrick Plummer, a spokesman for the commercial tax preparation company Intuit,, said in a statement that “Direct File is and has been a solution in search of a problem, a drain on critical IRS resources and a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

The IRS accepted 140,803 returns filed by taxpayers using Direct File in the 12 states where it was available last tax season. It was expanded to include half the country this year. It is unclear how many taxpayers have used Direct File this year.

Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America, which worked with the IRS to create a state tax filing integration program for Direct File, said the decision was “a betrayal of public trust at precisely the time government should be demonstrating its ability to deliver basic services effectively.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a proponent of building out Direct File, said in an emailed statement that Trump and Musk “are going after Direct File because it stops giant tax prep companies from ripping taxpayers off for services that should be free. Americans want a free and easy way to file their taxes — Trump and Musk want to take that away.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com



Source link

Tags: AmericanDOGEElonfilingFreeIRSKillMusksreportedlyTaxpayerstool
ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Should financial advisors offer friend and family discounts?

Next Post

Market Volatility Got You Spooked? Here’s What to Do (And NOT Do!)

Related Posts

edit post
Bulls piling into emerging markets as momentum returns

Bulls piling into emerging markets as momentum returns

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 5, 2025
0

Emerging market assets look set to cap a banner year, with investors expecting inflows into equities and bonds to gain...

edit post
Dollar vs yen: Surprise in Japan’s leadership race to roil financial markets

Dollar vs yen: Surprise in Japan’s leadership race to roil financial markets

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 5, 2025
0

An unexpected result in Japan’s leadership contest over the weekend is poised to ripple through global financial markets with the...

edit post
Firefly Aerospace strengthens portfolio with 5 million deal for national security tech firm SciTec

Firefly Aerospace strengthens portfolio with $855 million deal for national security tech firm SciTec

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 5, 2025
0

(Reuters) -Space tech firm Firefly Aerospace will acquire national security technology company SciTec for about $855 million. The deal, which...

edit post
Larry Summers praises Ford CEO Jim Farley’s concept of the essential economy because it doesn’t ‘fetishize manufacturing’

Larry Summers praises Ford CEO Jim Farley’s concept of the essential economy because it doesn’t ‘fetishize manufacturing’

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 5, 2025
0

Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said Ford CEO Jim Farley’s idea of the “essential economy” is a good concept as...

edit post
I went to a day trading meetup and spoke to people with dreams of getting good enough to quit their 9-to-5

I went to a day trading meetup and spoke to people with dreams of getting good enough to quit their 9-to-5

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 5, 2025
0

The day trader persona on social media looks something like this: A man with a sporty vibe and the swagger...

edit post
Layoffs will start if shutdown talks ‘going nowhere’, says White House

Layoffs will start if shutdown talks ‘going nowhere’, says White House

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 5, 2025
0

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration will start mass layoffs of federal workers if President Donald Trump decides negotiations with congressional Democrats...

Next Post
edit post
Market Volatility Got You Spooked? Here’s What to Do (And NOT Do!)

Market Volatility Got You Spooked? Here’s What to Do (And NOT Do!)

edit post
Meta saw TikTok as ‘highly urgent’ threat, Zuckerberg says at antitrust trial

Meta saw TikTok as ‘highly urgent’ threat, Zuckerberg says at antitrust trial

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
edit post
What Happens If a Spouse Dies Without a Will in North Carolina?

What Happens If a Spouse Dies Without a Will in North Carolina?

September 14, 2025
edit post
California May Reimplement Mask Mandates

California May Reimplement Mask Mandates

September 5, 2025
edit post
Does a Will Need to Be Notarized in North Carolina?

Does a Will Need to Be Notarized in North Carolina?

September 8, 2025
edit post
DACA recipients no longer eligible for Marketplace health insurance and subsidies

DACA recipients no longer eligible for Marketplace health insurance and subsidies

September 11, 2025
edit post
‘Quiet luxury’ is coming for the housing market, The Corcoran Group CEO says. It’s not just the Hamptons, Aspen, and Miami anymore

‘Quiet luxury’ is coming for the housing market, The Corcoran Group CEO says. It’s not just the Hamptons, Aspen, and Miami anymore

September 9, 2025
edit post
Tips to Apply for Mental Health SSDI Without Therapy

Tips to Apply for Mental Health SSDI Without Therapy

September 19, 2025
edit post
Health Centers Face Risks as Government Funding Lapses

Health Centers Face Risks as Government Funding Lapses

0
edit post
Bulls piling into emerging markets as momentum returns

Bulls piling into emerging markets as momentum returns

0
edit post
Earnings: Paychex Q1 adj. profit rises on higher revenues, beats Street view

Earnings: Paychex Q1 adj. profit rises on higher revenues, beats Street view

0
edit post
Dollar vs yen: Surprise in Japan’s leadership race to roil financial markets

Dollar vs yen: Surprise in Japan’s leadership race to roil financial markets

0
edit post
How TMT companies are leading the future of indirect tax

How TMT companies are leading the future of indirect tax

0
edit post
Splitting the Risk: How to Manage Interest Rate Risk in Project Finance

Splitting the Risk: How to Manage Interest Rate Risk in Project Finance

0
edit post
Bulls piling into emerging markets as momentum returns

Bulls piling into emerging markets as momentum returns

October 5, 2025
edit post
Dollar vs yen: Surprise in Japan’s leadership race to roil financial markets

Dollar vs yen: Surprise in Japan’s leadership race to roil financial markets

October 5, 2025
edit post
Firefly Aerospace strengthens portfolio with 5 million deal for national security tech firm SciTec

Firefly Aerospace strengthens portfolio with $855 million deal for national security tech firm SciTec

October 5, 2025
edit post
Larry Summers praises Ford CEO Jim Farley’s concept of the essential economy because it doesn’t ‘fetishize manufacturing’

Larry Summers praises Ford CEO Jim Farley’s concept of the essential economy because it doesn’t ‘fetishize manufacturing’

October 5, 2025
edit post
When Privacy Becomes a Caregiver Issue: What Boomers Need to Know Now

When Privacy Becomes a Caregiver Issue: What Boomers Need to Know Now

October 5, 2025
edit post
Surprising Ways Grandparents Can Help Their Adult Children Without Enabling Debt

Surprising Ways Grandparents Can Help Their Adult Children Without Enabling Debt

October 5, 2025
The Adviser Magazine

The first and only national digital and print magazine that connects individuals, families, and businesses to Fee-Only financial advisers, accountants, attorneys and college guidance counselors.

CATEGORIES

  • 401k Plans
  • Business
  • College
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Economy
  • Estate Plans
  • Financial Planning
  • Investing
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Legal
  • Market Analysis
  • Markets
  • Medicare
  • Money
  • Personal Finance
  • Social Security
  • Startups
  • Stock Market
  • Trading

LATEST UPDATES

  • Bulls piling into emerging markets as momentum returns
  • Dollar vs yen: Surprise in Japan’s leadership race to roil financial markets
  • Firefly Aerospace strengthens portfolio with $855 million deal for national security tech firm SciTec
  • Our Great Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use, Legal Notices & Disclosures
  • Contact us
  • About Us

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved
See articles for original source and related links to external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved
See articles for original source and related links to external sites.