The IRS said it doesn’t think a free public tax filing system would be a significant improvement for taxpayers, disagreeing with calls by a government watchdog to develop more free options.
Currently, the IRS partners with private tax software companies that offer free tax prep software to low- and middle-income taxpayers. The Free File program has come under increasing congressional scrutiny following reporting by ProPublica about tax-prep companies’ marketing practices that directed the public to paid products.
A Government Accountability Office report released Thursday outlined several challenges facing the Free File program, including a low usage rate and the ...