Task force on the termination of Direct File

(a) Termination of Direct File As soon as practicable, and not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure that the Internal Revenue Service Direct File program has been terminated. (b) Appropriation for task force to design a better public-private partnership between the IRS and private sector tax preparation services to provide for free tax filing to replace the existing “Free File” program and any “Direct Efile” tax return system Out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there is hereby appropriated for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, for necessary expenses of the Department of the Treasury to deliver to Congress, within 90 days following the date of the enactment of this Act, a report on (1) the cost of a new public-private partnership to provide for free tax filing for up to 70 percent of all taxpayers calculated by adjusted gross income to replace free file and any IRS-run direct file programs; (2) taxpayer opinions and preferences regarding a taxpayer-funded, government-run service or a free service provided by the private sector; (3) assessment of the feasibility of a new approach, how to make the options consistent and simple for taxpayers across all participating providers, how to provide features to address taxpayer needs; and (4) the cost (including options for differential coverage based on taxpayer adjusted gross income and return complexity) of developing and running a free direct efile tax return system, including costs to build and administer each release, $15,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026.