Congress wants to prevent IRS from expanding its free online tax filing

Congress wants to prevent IRS from expanding its free online tax filing

5 years ago
Anonymous $syBn1NGQOq

https://www.cnet.com/news/congress-may-ban-the-irs-from-offering-free-online-tax-filing-to-everyone/

The bill essentially maintains the status quo. Currently, the IRS has agreed to refrain from making its own filing system as long as a group of tax filing companies provide their free services to taxpayers making below the threshold income. Those companies are members of an industry group called the Free File Alliance. 

There have been several Congressional efforts to make the deal between the IRS and the Free File Alliance law, according to ProPublica. The tax preparation industry has heavily lobbied in support of these efforts, with Intuit and H&R Block giving a total of $6.6 million in part to the IRS deal, according to the report. Rep. Richard Neal, a Democrat from Massachusetts and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, reportedly received $16,000 in contributions from the two tax preparation companies during the last two elections.