I see lots of Amended Returns for my future!

In the 2019 Taxpayer First Act a bipartisan Congress forbid (or is it forbade) the IRS from creating their own tax software.  I believe I read it's Section 2401 but I did not dig deeper.  Guess this new plan changes that.

Also in that Act, Section 2102 said that by January, 2023 the IRS must have it's own 1099 platform for preparation, filing and distribution of 1099's.  Haven't seen that yet.

Government consolidating more control over tax collections knowing many taxpayer's won't question their notices.  Belief in Government is always right. SAD...

I think the 1099 thing is available now, I havent tried signing up yet though....more "special" numbers, and log ins and passwords  UGH!  

https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-forms-1099-with-iris

UGH..... DITO!!

That was 2019.  This is now.  From yesterday's Washington Post (sorry, it's behind a paywall) --

The Internal Revenue Service has quietly built its own prototype system to allow Americans to file tax returns digitally and free of charge, according to three current and former agency officials, essentially creating government software that could disrupt the tax-prep industry.

The system will be available through a pilot program for a small group of taxpayers by January, when the 2024 filing season begins, said the people briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal agency conversations. It was developed by the IRS and the U.S. Digital Service, the White House’s technology consulting agency.

Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, one of President Biden’s chief legislative victories, included $15 million for the IRS to look into creating a direct filing program.

Sounds like next year's Intuit professional tax software is going to suffer while Intuit fires programmers to hire more lobbyists 😬

How many informational returns did they destroy because they couldn't handle the work? 30 million or so? How long are people on hold when they call them? How many never get a representative or are hung up on? And they're going to be able to handle this? What a joke.

So I just tried to sign up for that IRIS system, but its asking for some 5 digit PIN I created when I created my EServices Account (back how many years ago!) ...I've got NO PIN written down anywhere!     Argh!

How much did Inflation Reduction Act give them?  $80 billion?  So another case of "that was then, this is now."  And when Congress earmarks some of it for specific projects, they have to spend it on those even though other programs are starved.  Of course, the "Defund the Police" crowd also wants to defund the IRS.  Oh, wait, those are two different crowds.  One of them is rich.