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IRS open-sources Direct File tax software amid political and industry pushback - here's why


The administration has ended free income tax filing, but that didn't stop the IRS from open-sourcing its frontend Direct File tax program.

These companies do so because, as the National Taxpayers Union Foundation points out, "The average 1040 filer now faces $290 in out-of-pocket costs and spends 13 hours preparing a return. However, Derrick Plummer, an Intuit representative, said in a statement at the time that "Direct File is and has been a solution in search of a problem, a drain on critical IRS resources and a waste of taxpayer dollars." This open-source move was also in accordance with the SHARE IT Act, which requires federal agencies to make custom-developed source code available to the public unless a specific exemption applies.

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