Warren skipped Direct File despite years of promoting the program

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., did not use the free state tax filing system she had promoted for years when it became available in her state, records show.

So far back 2016Warren pushed for a free IRS online tax preparation and filing service, a precursor to Direct File. The senator touted it as a way to save taxpayers time and money. But when Direct File launched a pilot program serving Massachusetts for the 2024 tax filing season, Warren’s publicly released tax returns showed she opted to use a private accountant instead.

Warren was not eligible to use Direct File during the 2024 tax filing season because she chose not to take the standard deduction that year. It’s a restriction on the standard deduction under the program that critics say makes the program too limited to serve many taxpayers.

“Direct File pilot program has been a big win for taxpayers,” Warren said in question In April 2024. “This year, thousands of taxpayers have saved their time and $150 in lost money on TurboTax and other unnecessary filing fees – money that could have been spent on groceries or rent… I am excited to continue working with the IRS and Treasury Department to permanently extend and expand this free and easy tax filing solution for Americans.”

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Warren has characterized himself As one of the best legislative architects of the Direct File system.

“Senator Warren has been a major proponent of the Direct File program for years, but her own tax returns show she hired a private accountant,” David Williams, president of the Taxpayer Protection Alliance (TPA), a center-right fiscal advocacy group, told Fox News Digital.

“Direct File was ill-equipped to handle investment, property and interest income, limiting the tax deductions and deductions to which Americans were entitled. In essence, the government as tax preparer, collector and auditor would have no incentive to maximize these deductions,” he added.

The Trump administration moved to suspend Direct File in 2025, and the IRS later told states the program would not be available during the 2026 filing season.

Even after her own return showed she used a private accountant rather than Direct File for the 2024 tax filing season, Warren continued to push for the system. On Tax Day, April 15, 2026, Warren a recently introduced We introduced the bill to the Senate seeking to revitalize the program.

“Filing your taxes should be easy and free… Let’s save people time and money and show the American people that government can work for them,” Warren said.

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Ranking member Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questions Federal Reserve presidential nominee Kevin Warsh during his Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Direct File usage was low during the 2024 tax filing season; Only 161,042 of an estimated 19 million eligible Americans were filing returns this way. based on to an IRS report.

But 90% of those who used the service rated their experience as “excellent” or “above average,” according to the IRS. The majority of respondents reported that Direct File is easy to use and has high-quality customer service support.

But TPA says 25% of Direct File users rate their experience as negative, based on an analysis of user responses obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. He speaks as. He appears at a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on September 4, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Critics of Direct File, such as conservative economist Stephen Moore, have argued that allowing the IRS, which has incentives to maximize tax revenue, to prepare taxes for Americans creates a conflict of interest and that the program is not truly free, given its administrative costs. Meanwhile, advocates like the left-of-center advocacy group Public Citizen to dispute Eliminating filing costs could save taxpayers billions of dollars a year for relatively little public expense, he said.

Companies like Intuit and H&R Block lobbied aggressively To kill Direct File, which many believed would reduce their profits.

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Warren’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment sent Monday.