The Internal Revenue Service's direct file program Republicans are trying to get rid of is "efficient, cost effective, user friendly and secure," Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Coons, D-Del., wrote in a letter to Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent and IRS Commissioner nominee Billy Long touting it.
Nearly 30 House Republicans are asking Trump to stop the IRS free tax filing service on day one of his new administration, saying "the program's creation and ongoing expansion pose a threat to taxpayers' freedom from government overreach, and its rollout and structural flaws have already come at a steep price."
Billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will run Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are reportedly discussing crafting a mobile app to file tax returns with the IRS.
"The Direct File pilot program has proved that it is efficient, cost effective, user friendly, and secure — a pilot program that already meets the DOGE leaders' goals," Warren and Coons said in a letter dated Wednesday and first reported on by Business Insider.
"On this issue, Mr. Musk and Mr. Ramaswamy and the Republican majorities who supported the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 are correct.
"We disagree with our colleagues who are calling on the President to pull the plug, harming taxpayers and undermining the work that two dozen state governments in red and blue states have done to support taxpayers for the upcoming 2025 tax filing season. As Mr. Musk and Ms. Ramaswamy have said, Americans deserve a simple and free way to meet their tax obligations online. Ending Direct File would hurt everyday Americans
President Joe Biden started the free tax portal.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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