129:
must allow 70 percent of U.S. taxpayers - approximately 100 million people - to be eligible for at least one product. Each year, the income limit for eligibility is adjusted to reach 70 percent of the taxpayers. The income limit for 2022 (tax year 2021) is set at $ 73,000, though some Free File software providers choose to set the income threshold lower. Agreements between the IRS and the Free File
Alliance are publicly available. The latest memorandum of understanding was signed in 2021 and runs through 2023.
150:. Free File is free for federal tax returns only. However, some Free File Alliance members offer state return software for a fee or for free. Most of the software products, but not all, use an interview format in which you are asked questions and your answers are used to populate the electronic form. This format helps taxpayers get the tax credits and deductions to which they are eligible. It also means taxpayers do not have to be experts in
98:
In 2020, H&R Block ended its participation in the Free File
Program. In July 2021, Intuit announced that its TurboTax product would no longer participate in the Free File Program effective as of the 2021 tax season. For tax-filing season 2023, seven tax software companies are participating in the
46:
Through the program, 70% of U.S. taxpayers are eligible to use commercial software for free to file their tax returns and almost all taxpayers can use free fillable electronic versions of paper forms to electronically file their tax returns, though less than 5% of eligible individuals do so. In 2019,
128:
The Free File
Alliance is a consortium of commercial tax preparation software providers that offer their brand-name tax software products for free to lower and middle-income tax filers. Each member is allowed to set eligibility requirements for their software products. However, the cumulative offers
170:
Another component of Free File is Free File
Fillable Forms, which is available to all taxpayers, including taxpayers whose adjusted gross incomes (AGI) are greater than $ 73,000. It is an alternative to Free File Software, although both are free. Free File Fillable Forms is operated by a private
83:
One initiative, IRS Free File, instructed the IRS to provide free and secure online tax return preparation and filing services to taxpayers. In accordance with this OMB directive, the IRS began working in partnership with the tax software industry to develop a solution. The result was the formation
70:
As of the 2021 tax filing season, the two most used tax-filing software programs (TurboTax and H&R Block) no longer participate in the Free File
Program. With the two largest members of the Free File Alliance ending their participation in the Free File Program, there have been renewed calls for
161:
To use IRS Free File, taxpayers generally go through the IRS website. There, taxpayers can find a tax software product one of two ways. They can review a list of companies and their offers. Or, they can use a simple web tool that asks a few questions - such as income, state residency and age - and
178:
Free File
Fillable Forms is an electronic version of IRS paper forms. Free File Fillable Forms does not include any elaborate cross-checking or question-and-answer formats (such as is found in many of the Free File Software packages), instead it is a simple fill-in-the blank format (however, it
79:
In
November 2001, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Quicksilver Task Force established 24 e-government initiatives that were a part of the President's Management Agenda. These initiatives were designed to improve Government to Government, Government to Business, and Government to
42:
More than 65 million
American taxpayers have used Free File since its inception in 2003. Using a conservative savings estimate of $ 30 per return, the IRS Free File Program has saved taxpayers nearly $ 2 billion that they otherwise would have spent for tax preparation during this period.
179:
does perform math calculations). Free File
Fillable Forms is best for taxpayers who are comfortable preparing their own tax returns or who have been long-time paper filers. There are no income restrictions for using Free File Fillable Forms. It does not support any state tax returns.
145:
is $ 73,000 or less will be eligible for at least one software product. There are 7 products from which to choose. Each software provider sets its own eligibility requirements, generally related to income, state residency, age, military service or eligibility for the
34:
offer free tax preparation software to tax filers with annual adjusted gross income (AGI) below $ 73,000 for Tax Year 2022. The AGI is adjusted and typically increases slightly for each tax-filing season. The service is available through the IRS's website at
162:
the tool will locate those software products for which taxpayers are eligible. Once a taxpayer chooses a product, they will be directed off the IRS.gov site and onto the
Alliance member's website to complete their federal tax return.
137:
The Free File Program, a public-private partnership between IRS and private-sector tax software companies, allows lower- and middle-income taxpayers to use name-brand tax preparation software to prepare and file tax forms for free.
306:
60:
95:
allegedly engaged in practices that hid the Free File Program from eligible taxpayers, and attempted to trick eligible taxpayers into paying for services they might be eligible to receive for free.
655:
106:, where people can calculate and submit their federal taxes and some state taxes in partnership with select state tax agencies for free. This initiative came as a result of the 2022
350:
325:
656:
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-free-file-alliance-announce-changes-to-improve-program-improved-taxpayer-options-available-for-2019-free-file-program
84:
of the Free File Alliance, LLC, a group of tax software companies who provide free commercial online tax preparation and electronic filing services.
64:
539:
465:
418:
59:
misled taxpayers into paying for tax preparation services despite qualifying under the Free File Program. Subsequent investigations by the
451:
257:
282:
486:
748:
399:
375:
564:
511:
753:
151:
715:
613:
310:
709:
305:
466:"Intuit will no longer be a part of an IRS program that helps millions of Americans file taxes for free"
667:
625:
232:
487:"The IRS is launching a direct file pilot program for the 2024 tax season — here is how it will work"
691:
422:
155:
147:
107:
376:"TurboTax Tricked Customers Into Paying to File Taxes. Now Several States Are Investigating It"
351:"TurboTax Tricked Customers Into Paying to File Taxes. Now Several States Are Investigating It"
142:
39:. Free fillable forms also are available to all taxpayers as part of the Free File Program.
8:
426:
172:
123:
31:
439:
207:
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for free. Through the program, commercial tax software companies that are part of the
540:"Free File Alliance & IRS Sign Five-Year Agreement to Continue Free File Program"
283:"TurboTax Uses A "Military Discount" to Trick Troops Into Paying to File Their Taxes"
326:"Senate Investigation Criticizes the IRS for Failing to Oversee Free Filing Program"
733:
703:
640:
697:
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and not the IRS. Though IRS links to it, they do not endorse it or any product.
307:
United States Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
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the IRS to develop and offer their own free tax-filing software to taxpayers.
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614:
https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/before-starting-free-file-fillable-forms
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592:
88:
48:
27:
23:
721:
233:"Free File: Do your Federal Taxes for Free | Internal Revenue Service"
111:
681:
668:
https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free
626:
https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free
400:"The IRS has a big opportunity to fix the way Americans file taxes"
258:"TurboTax Deliberately Hid Its Free File Page From Search Engines"
729:
686:
452:"IRS's Free File Partners Moving Forward Without H&R Block"
413:
411:
409:
195:
92:
52:
36:
654:"IRS, Free File Alliance announce changes to improve program"
61:
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
587:
585:
406:
470:
440:
The TurboTax Trap: How the Tax Prep Industry Makes You Pay
725:
582:
102:
For tax-filing season 2024, the IRS announced a pilot of
22:
is a service that allows U.S. taxpayers to prepare and
87:
According to investigations by the news organization
710:Free File: Everyone Can File an Extension for Free
740:
641:https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/2012_4f_faqs.pdf
565:"Free File: I Will Choose A Free File Software"
65:New York State Department of Financial Services
280:
255:
650:
648:
635:
633:
281:Justin Elliott, Kengo Tsutsumi (2019-05-23).
256:Justin Elliott, Lucas Waldron (2019-04-26).
666:Free File: Do Your Federal Taxes for Free
624:Free File: Do Your Federal Taxes for Free
165:
645:
630:
608:
606:
716:Free File: Do Your Federal Taxes for Free
612:Before Starting Free File Fillable Forms
158:products through the Free File service.
639:Free File Fillable Forms General FAQs
603:
373:
348:
323:
741:
311:IRS Oversight of the Free File Program
132:
117:
484:
154:. Alliance members cannot sell any
13:
14:
765:
675:
188:
80:Citizen electronic capabilities.
682:http://www.freefilealliance.org/
512:"Do Your Federal Taxes For Free"
51:asserted that companies such as
16:United States government service
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618:
557:
532:
504:
478:
458:
444:
433:
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110:, signed into law by President
724:for free state tax filings in
704:Free File Software Lookup Tool
419:"About the Free File Alliance"
374:Elliott, Justin (2020-09-08).
367:
349:Elliott, Justin (2019-12-19).
342:
324:Elliott, Justin (2020-06-09).
317:
299:
274:
249:
225:
200:
1:
749:Taxation in the United States
208:"About the Free File Program"
182:
687:https://www.irs.gov/FreeFile
7:
10:
770:
571:. Internal Revenue Service
521:. Internal Revenue Service
214:. Internal Revenue Service
121:
74:
67:confirmed these findings.
698:Free File Software Offers
597:freefilefillableforms.com
55:(makers of TurboTax) and
20:The IRS Free File Program
754:Internal Revenue Service
166:Free File Fillable Forms
156:refund anticipation loan
148:earned income tax credit
722:FileYourStateTaxes tool
141:For 2022, anyone whose
108:Inflation Reduction Act
143:adjusted gross income
26:their federal income
692:Free File Agreements
544:freefilealliance.org
196:www.irs.gov/freefile
37:www.irs.gov/freefile
99:Free File Program.
173:Free File Alliance
171:organization, the
133:Free File Software
124:Free File Alliance
118:Free File Alliance
47:investigations by
32:Free File Alliance
485:Hussein, Fatima.
402:. 13 August 2021.
91:, TurboTax maker
761:
734:Code for America
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676:External links
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152:income tax law
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122:Main article:
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427:the original
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237:www.irs.gov
104:Direct File
28:tax returns
743:Categories
575:2016-09-04
550:2016-09-04
525:2016-09-04
496:29 January
385:2021-02-25
380:ProPublica
360:2019-12-30
355:ProPublica
335:2021-02-25
330:ProPublica
292:2019-05-23
287:ProPublica
267:2021-02-25
262:ProPublica
242:2023-05-17
218:2016-09-04
183:References
89:ProPublica
49:ProPublica
718:- irs.gov
712:- irs.gov
706:- irs.gov
700:- irs.gov
694:- irs.gov
313:(Report).
194:IRS.gov,
112:Joe Biden
726:New York
309:(2020).
63:and the
730:Arizona
569:irs.gov
519:irs.gov
491:AP News
212:irs.gov
75:History
593:"Home"
93:Intuit
53:Intuit
24:e-file
732:from
515:(PDF)
728:and
498:2024
471:CNBC
423:IRS
745::
647:^
632:^
605:^
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