"Intuit spokesman Rick Heineman said “the reality remains the same today as it did the day Direct File launched; 100% of Americans can already file their [notice how he left out "federal"] taxes completely free of charge, free to the government and actually free to taxpayers.”

The reality, of course, is that most Americans can't file their state returns, not to mention those in the Rust Belt who also must file local returns.  But is the answer for the government to spend $13 million to save 140,000 people $5.6 million?  (As a measuring stick, consider the weekday circulation of the Washington Post of 139,000.)