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Internal Revenue Service

The IRS pilots its free tax-filing program

by Kai Ryssdal , Aleezeh Hasan and Sean McHenry
Mar 6, 2024
The new program, called Direct File, has been rolled out in a dozen states. But how does it stack up to private tax-filing software?
“I give it a solid B,” says Dylan Matthews of Vox about the IRS' free filing software.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

What would happen if we could choose where our taxes go?

by Janet Nguyen
Jan 19, 2024
Most Americans would likely prioritize social insurance, according to one survey.
Social insurance and education are some of the most popular areas of spending people would want their tax dollars to go toward.
sasirin pamai/Getty Images
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Shelf Life

"We've got a lot more progress to go" on fixing racial disparities caused by the tax system

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Jan 18, 2024
Dorothy Brown of Georgetown University has spent her career researching race and the tax code. Now, she advises the Treasury Department.
The Internal Revenue Service does not collect or publish statistics by race, but there is more to the story, says Dorothy Brown of Georgetown University.
J. David Ake/Getty Images
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The IRS is trying a free online tax-filing system that cuts out vendors

by Stephanie Hughes
Jan 2, 2024
The Treasury Department found that that third-party vendors were directing users to paid products.
Advocates protest tax preparation companies that direct users to paid products instead of free tax-filing services. Now, 12 states will test the IRS' own free filing service.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Economic Security Project
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Tax refunds are smaller this year — and fewer people are getting them

by Henry Epp
May 12, 2023
Blame the termination of benefits that came with pandemic emergency measures.
The average refund amount is down more than 7% from last year so far, according to the IRS.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Your tax refund may be smaller this year

by Samantha Fields
Apr 5, 2023
Pandemic tax credits have dried up, like the temporary expansion of the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit.
Without pandemic-era expanded tax credits, low- and middle-income families will likely see lower tax returns.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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Could return-free tax filing actually be on the horizon?

by David Brancaccio , Chris Farrell , Erika Soderstrom and Jarrett Dang
Mar 30, 2023
The idea has been thrown around for a while now, but new IRS funding may help it become a reality.
Return-free filing has been adopted in many other countries, and there's growing pressure in the U.S. to adopt a similar system.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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The IRS delays a tax-reporting rule for peer-to-peer apps. Freelancers are relieved.

by Savannah Maher
Jan 17, 2023
Peer-to-peer apps have become a lifeline for small businesses. But many formerly under-the-table cash transactions now leave a digital trail. 
Small businesses that use peer-to-peer payment services like Cash App or Venmo and take in more than $600 will receive a 1099 form starting next year.
Anna Webber/Getty Images for Afterpay
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The IRS aims to improve customer service by hiring 5,000 additional workers

by Mitchell Hartman
Sep 15, 2022
The agency's budget has been shrinking, its workforce is aging, and it's been saddled with new responsibilities.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tours a new technology workspace at the Internal Revenue Service on Sep. 15. The agency is receiving $80 billion to upgrade technology and hire more staff.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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Millions of college students are eligible for tax credits. But they have to file for them.

by Stephanie Hughes
Apr 14, 2022
Students may be entitled to additional money if they're not claimed as dependents.
Students at the University of California, Berkeley. College students may be entitled to tax benefits and pandemic relief payments.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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