The IRS Created a Free Tax Filing System. TurboTax is Reeling. - More Perfect Union

[TexasTowelie]

The IRS’s free tax filing pilot was a huge success, despite TurboTax and H&R Block’s efforts to block it. Direct File saved people $5.6 million in tax prep and $90 million in refunds. In just 12 states. Now we need to fully fund the IRS to make it permanent and nationwide.

[captain queeg]

1. Worth checking out.

As usual the last couple years I put in for the 6 month extension, so still need to do my taxes and now that I’m retired my taxes are pretty straight forward.

[TexasTowelie]

2. I filed for extensions a few times in the 2000s; however, in my defense I was filing workers compensation data

for insurance companies and April 15 was a major filing date and there were steep fines if the reports were late. Most of the time my filings were straight-forward and I could use Form 1040-EZ, but it was difficult to find even 30 minutes from late February to April 15 to fill out the form, copy, and mail.

[pfitz59]

3. I used the IRS free filing system this year

Super simple and easy.

[bhikkhu]

4. I've been filing for free for 40 years

I go to the library and pick up the forms, then I sharpen my pencil and fill them out, then I mail them in. I was talking to someone the other day about that, they had no idea you could even do it that way.

[TexasTowelie]

5. Yes, I used to pick up two or three copies of the tax forms that I needed

since I would fill out the form with a messy edition and then the clean edition where my numbers resembled the examples on the form.