Democrats urge Trump nominees to keep the IRS’s free direct tax-filing tool, touting it as a DOGE-friendly program

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (left) and Chris Coons (right) sent the letter to two Trump nominees, including Scott Bessent (center).

As some Republicans urge President-Elect Donald Trump to kill the IRS’s free direct tax-filing tool, Democrats are attempting to preserve it.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent and IRS Commissioner nominee Billy Long, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chris Coons of Delaware touted what they see as the benefits of the program.

“Direct File is making the process of interacting with the government more efficient, a goal we all can agree on,” Warren and Coons wrote in a letter exclusively provided to B-17. Twenty-two other senators and 113 House members, all Democrats, also signed on.

The duo also made the case that the program “fits the bill” of a program that’s reportedly being explored by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s “Department of Government Efficiency:” a mobile app to allow Americans to file their taxes directly to the IRS for free.

“The Direct File pilot program has proved that it is efficient, cost effective, user friendly, and secure — a pilot program that already meets the DOGE leaders’ goals,” the senators wrote, adding that, as Musk and Ramaswamy have said, “Americans deserve a simple and free way to meet their tax obligations online.”

The program, which was enabled by the 2022 passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, first launched in 12 states last year and is set to expand to 13 more states this year. More than 140,000 have filed their federal tax returns via the program, according to the IRS.

The direct-file tool is designed to make filing taxes easier and simpler. Historically, many Americans have had to spend significant amounts of time on tax preparation or pay money to private services like TurboTax.

“Most Americans have simple tax returns, yet filing is still arduous and frustrating,” the senators wrote. “The complexity of the tax code makes it difficult for average Americans to ensure they get it right, while also protecting their sensitive financial and personal data.”

In December, 29 House Republicans sent a letter to Trump urging him to kill the program via executive order as soon as Day One of his presidency. They cast the tool as an example of the “weaponization of government,” arguing that it gave too much power to the IRS.

It’s not clear how the incoming Trump administration will approach the program, and the Trump-Vance transition did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.