IRS head says free Direct File tax service is 'gone'

Partisan responsibility and motives

• Many see dismantling Direct File as part of a long‑running Republican project: weaken public services, privatize functions, and reward donors (e.g., tax software firms).
• Several argue “the cruelty is the point”: voters and politicians are willing to hurt themselves if it hurts perceived “out groups” or “owns the libs” more.
• Others push back on pure demonization:
  • Some note past Republicans (Eisenhower, Nixon) supported pro‑worker and pro‑environment policies.
  • Several criticize Democrats as incompetent, arrogant neoliberals who stopped delivering material gains and now mainly serve donors, especially post‑Clinton.
  • A recurring theme: “both parties are bad,” but disagreement on whether they’re equally bad or whether Democrats remain the “lesser evil.”

Voters, tribalism, and information

• Commenters describe Republican allegiance as identity or “religion” for many voters; policy outcomes matter less than group belonging.
• Others note tribalism exists on both sides, but argue it’s far more intense on the right.
• There’s debate over “voting against one’s best interests”:
  • One side says people objectively hurt themselves (e.g., losing hospitals, emergency response, programs like Direct File).
  • The other side stresses different moral frameworks, resentment at being talked down to, and willingness to sacrifice material benefit for perceived moral or cultural goals.
• Media ecosystems are blamed: conservative outlets likely won’t highlight Direct File’s loss, or will reframe it as a win against “socialist websites”; mainstream outlets may also underplay it.

Lobbying, tax software, and policy design

• Many see Intuit/H&R Block as central villains: heavy lobbying, past abuse of “Free File,” dark patterns, and active opposition to automatic filing.
• Complexity and pain in tax filing are described as features, not bugs: useful to justify anti‑tax politics, create demand for private software, and allow selective enforcement.

Comparisons and technical details

• Multiple commenters from Europe describe automatic or very simple tax systems and express disbelief the U.S. still requires manual filing.
• Distinction is made between:
  • Direct File: IRS‑built, integrated with some states, designed to be truly easy.
  • Free File / Free Fillable Forms: either vendor‑mediated with upsell incentives or barebones forms.
• Some note the Direct File code is public and could be forked for print‑and‑mail tools, but sustaining such a project is seen as a major challenge.