>The average American who hires a tax preparer to file even a simple return will spend more than $200, according to industry estimates.

>This year, however, taxpayers have more options than ever to avoid that expense.

>Or maybe not. The most noteworthy new program for free tax-prep, IRS Direct File, came under fire this week from Elon Musk, who posted on X Monday that the service had been “deleted.” Democrats and Republicans in Congress are battling over its future.

>However, 18F, a digital consulting team that worked on Direct File within the General Services Administration (GSA), remains operational, according to its website. Instead, Musk may have been referring to the group's X account: The page has been taken down, according to multiple media reports.

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>Direct File is a new IRS program that allows millions of Americans with uncomplicated taxes to file returns at no cost.

>The IRS says 30 million taxpayers qualify to use the free service this year: pretty much anyone with a relatively straightforward return. The Direct File site will help you decide if you are eligible.

>“Above all, our goal is to improve the experience of tax filing itself and help taxpayers meet their obligations quickly and easily,” said Danny Werfel, the now-former IRS commissioner, in a statement.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: People use IRS Direct File at the Internal Revenue Service Building on April 05, 2024 in Washington, DC.

>Direct File works on mobile phones, tablets and regular computers, guiding taxpayers through a step-by-step process for completing their returns. The program is designed to help you maximize your refund.

>Though Direct File sounds innocuous enough, the program has seeded controversy. Private tax preparation companies lobbied against it. Republican lawmakers have urged President Trump to kill the program, citing concerns over the IRS acting “as both tax collector and tax preparer.”

So how is this a benefit to us?

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