00:00The Trump administration killed free tax filing this season,
00:03and private companies spent millions to make it happen.
00:05In 2024, the IRS released a tax service that allowed Americans to file for free.
00:10But lobbyists at companies like H&R Block and Intuit weren't just unhappy with the free service.
00:16They called it a government overreach.
00:18Since 2023, Intuit has spent over $11.3 million on federal lobbying,
00:24while H&R Block has spent nearly $10 million,
00:26much of it involving issues tied to IRS modernization, free file,
00:31and proposals for the government to send pre-filled tax returns.
00:35Each year, Americans spend about $240 to prepare and file their tax returns,
00:41according to the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service.
00:43And since 2003, two private tax giants have spent about $103 million on tax filing-related issues,
00:51including direct file, of which less than 1% of eligible taxpayers actually used.
00:56In December of 2024, House Republicans sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump
01:00urging him to get rid of direct file on day one.
01:04And free filing for most taxpayers through the IRS came to an end in November of 2025.
01:09The direct file site is effectively dead.
01:11There's no way to file a new return,
01:13and prior users cannot rely on the system they used a year prior.
01:1730 million Americans would have been eligible for the service,
01:19but now only filers making under $89,000 a year are allowed to file for free.
01:25Limiting options for Americans even more.
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