Why should I purchase TurboTax after they lobbied the TRUMP administration to kill the free filing option at the IRS?

[macgillp]

Is TurboTax a big supporter of the corrupt Trump administration?

[SteamTrain]

Use whatever software you want.

OR

Go to the IRS website in late January and download the 2025 PDF paper forms and instructions.  Fill them out manually and send them in at the Post Office.

[rjs]

The IRS ended the Direct File program. IRS Free File will still be available in January. See the following link on the IRS web site.

IRS Free File: Do your taxes for free

[baldietax]

See article below also; there are also other lower cost / free options like FreeTaxUSA, TaxAct etc.

Direct File didn't have that many users according to this article, and it's expensive to develop and maintain a fully functional filing infratstructure which tax prep companies make profitable by selling premium services.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2025/11/06/direct-file-killed-free-taxes/871311...

Just under 141,000 returns were filed during the tax year 2023 pilot program with a dozen states.  The next year with 25 states participating, 296,531 returns, or less than 0.5% of approximately 146 million total returns, were filed. Yet, the program cost taxpayers at least $41 million, or at least $138 per return, the report said.