Less than two weeks are left to file taxes before the April 15 deadline.
Americans don’t have access to the direct filing system they had in 2024 and 2025, because the program was ended by the Trump administration last year.
The administration cited high costs for the program. This came amid major layoffs, RIF’s, and early retirements at the Internal Revenue Service, which has lost about a third of its staff.
“You’ve heard of Direct File, that’s gone,” Former IRS Commissioner Bill Long said last July. “Big beautiful Billy wiped that out. I don’t care about Direct File. I care about direct audit.”
“Big Beautiful Billy” is a reference to H.R. 1, or the “Big Beautiful Bill,” the major budget bill President Donald Trump (R) and Republicans passed last summer.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the program should be reinstated.
“Direct File was a tremendous boost for lower and middle income tax filers, and unfortunately, the Trump administration eliminated it,” Blumenthal said. “Why? Because of pressure from the giant tax preparing industry companies like Turbo Tax and HR Block.”
Blumenthal has introduced legislation that would make direct filing permanent as a matter of law.
Free income tax filing assistance is available for Connecticut residents here.
