Ensuring the American taxpayer’s rights, and strengthening our nation’s voluntary tax compliance system.

IRS Direct File is costly and duplicative

The IRS's Direct File "pilot" will confuse and frustrate taxpayers, while giving too much power to the IRS.

  • Direct File would require hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds annually.
  • Tens of millions of taxpayers are already eligible to use free tax preparation through long-standing agreements with commercial tax providers.
  • Taxpayers must get through seven screens before they even learn if they're eligible for Direct File.
  • The IRS is not equipped to provide the same level of customer service as private companies.
  • The IRS has a clear conflict-of-interest when it comes to determining how much taxpayers owe.

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Direct File is a Textbook Example of Government Waste

The American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights (ACTR) released the following statement highlighting the unnecessary and wasteful spending behind the IRS’s Direct File program, which could cost taxpayers an estimated $250 million despite existing free tax preparation options:“The federal government continues to waste taxpayer dollars on Direct File, an unnecessary, duplicative, and costly program that provides…

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Partnerships

The American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights (ACTR) was formed in 2011 by the nation’s leading retail tax preparation and tax software companies and financial institutions, which collectively prepare and file more than 120 million of the 160 million federal tax returns annually. ACTR advocates for taxpayer rights and strengthens America’s voluntary tax compliance system.

Tax Preparers

Financial Institutions