Warren pushed ‘free and easy’ IRS filing system, but docs reveal what she used instead
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., didn't use the free government tax-filing system she had spent years promoting when it became available in her state, records show.As far back as 2016, Warren...
By Fox News · Fox News
Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass., didn't use the free government tax-filing system she had spent years promoting when it became available in her state, records show. As far back as 2016 , Warren pushed for a free IRS online tax preparation and filing service, a precursor to what became Direct File. The senator touted it as a way for taxpayers to save time and money. When Direct File launched a pilot program serving Massachusetts for the 2024 tax-filing season, however, Warren's publicly released tax return indicated that she opted to use a private accountant instead. Warren was ineligible to use Direct File during the 2024 tax-filing season because she chose not to take the standard deduction that year. The standard deduction under the program is a restriction critics say illustrates why the program was too limited to serve many taxpayers. "The Direct File pilot program has been a huge win for taxpayers," Warren said in April 2024. "This year, thousands of taxpayers saved hours of their time and the $150 typically spent on TurboTax and other junk filing fees — money that could be spent on groceries or rent … I’m excited to continue to work with the IRS and the Treasury Department to permanently extend and expand this free and easy tax filing solution for Americans." HAWLEY, WARREN TEAM UP TO BACK TRUMP, CRACK DOWN ON DEFENSE CONTRACTOR PAYOUTS Warren has characterized herself as one of the top legislative architects of the Direct File system. "For years, Senator Warren has been the Direct File program’s biggest champion — yet her own tax returns show she hired a private accountant," David Williams, president of the Taxpayer Protection Alliance (TPA), a right-of-center fiscal advocacy group, told Fox News Digital. "Direct File was ill-equipped to handle investment, property and interest income — limiting the tax credits and deductions Americans deserve. At its core, the government would not have any incentive — as the tax preparer, collector, and auditor — to maximiz…