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The IRS pilots its free tax-filing program

The new program, called Direct File, has been rolled out in a dozen states. But how does it stack up to private tax-filing software?
“I give it a solid B,” says Dylan Matthews of Vox about the IRS' free filing software.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The IRS is trying a free online tax-filing system that cuts out vendors

Jan 2, 2024
The Treasury Department found that that third-party vendors were directing users to paid products.
Advocates protest tax preparation companies that direct users to paid products instead of free tax-filing services. Now, 12 states will test the IRS' own free filing service.
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Could return-free tax filing actually be on the horizon?

The idea has been thrown around for a while now, but new IRS funding may help it become a reality.
Return-free filing has been adopted in many other countries, and there's growing pressure in the U.S. to adopt a similar system.
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IRS will delay tax filing due date until May 17

Mar 17, 2021
The delay provides more time for both taxpayers and the IRS, given the pressure of the pandemic.
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This year's tax season is likely to be more stressful than usual

Feb 12, 2021
For a lot of people, the last year has been weird, from a tax standpoint.
Though the start of tax season was delayed, the traditional filing deadline is back.
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Some things we know about filing 2020 taxes

Jan 18, 2021
Because so many people worked from home this year, some taxpayers may have to do more research and paperwork.
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IRS changes could make free online tax filing easier

Jan 2, 2020
The tax prep industry, including companies like TurboTax, was essentially hiding free filing software, Justin Elliott of ProPublica says.
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For public good, not for profit.

Ohio experiments with bitcoin tax payments

Apr 8, 2019
The state treasurer's office is trying something new.
A window display at the Blockland Solutions Conference in Cleveland this past December.
Adrian Ma/ideastream

Even for cryptocurrency traders, the taxman cometh

Feb 15, 2018
As more people invest in cryptocurrency, will they report gains or losses to the IRS? One tax preparer says only a fraction of tax filers have reported cryptocurrency investments so far. How much money could the IRS be missing out on? And what should cryptocurrency traders be aware of when it comes to possible tax […]