The Trump administration plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program. That's the electronic system for filing tax returns directly to the agency for free.

The Trump administration plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program, an electronic system for filing tax returns directly to the agency for free, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The program developed during Joe Biden’s presidency was credited by users with making tax filing easy, fast and economical. But Republican lawmakers and commercial tax preparation companies complained it was a waste of taxpayer money because free filing programs already exist, although they are hard to use.

The program had been in limbo since the start of the Trump administration as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have slashed their way through the federal government. Musk posted in February on his social media site, X, that he had “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as Direct File.

  • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    56·
    3 days ago

    I’m sure we’ll all start seeing the benefits of all of this “cost cutting” any moment now… Direct checks and/or massive tax reductions for everyone making below $250k or something, right? After all that’s the point, right?

    Any moment now…

    • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
      662·
      3 days ago

      Tbf every working American received a minimum of $2400 during his last term. He’s said he plans to send everyone a check for $5k this time around and if it happens I bet it’s right before the midterm elections.

      • Optional@lemmy.world
        52·
        3 days ago

        It wasn’t all working Americans. It was

        Americans with income below a certain threshold — $75,000 for individuals, $112,500 for heads of household and $150,000 for couples filing jointly

        And it was 1200 to start, higher for certain circumnstances, and it was because the fucker fucked up the handling of a global pandemic and everything went to complete shit immediately, threatening to blow up the global economy that way.

        Also the toxic narcissist had to put his name on the checks because he’s a goddamned fucking idiot asshole whose father never loved him.

        • Rhaedas@fedia.io
          26·
          3 days ago

          the fucker fucked up the handling of a global pandemic that he helped create by eliminating a response team developed by the past two Presidents

          FTFY

          • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            3 days ago

            All thanks to the dedicated work of the folks in the Office of Obvious Preventable Situations (OOPS for short or OoOPS on their official letterhead).

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        21·
        3 days ago

        Lol. Fucking dumb motherfuckers like this is why we are in this position

        First, no he won’t give everyone $5k.

        But even if he did, you think $5000 is anything close to what has already been taken from us?

        A bunch of fucking marks, I swear.

        Also, no, he didn’t give everyone $2400, but keep making shit up “to be fair.”

        • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
          1·
          2 days ago

          First, no he won’t give everyone $5k.

          Why not? It’s not his money, and it would win some votes for Republicans in the midterms.

          But even if he did, you think $5000 is anything close to what has already been taken from us?

          No

          Also, no, he didn’t give everyone $2400, but keep making shit up “to be fair.”

          Every single person who filed an income tax return of less than $75,000 the year before or $120,000 jointly. That’s close enough to “everybody”. He printed money to do it, and it was more of a political stunt than anything else, but it absolutely happened.