Speaking of useless and invasive government programs, there’s more good news to report.  The IRS’s Direct File program – a free, federally funded tax filing service invented by the Biden admin – will not be part of the 2026 tax season or any other.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was right on when he declared: “It wasn’t used very much, and we think that the private sector can do a better job.” He noted that less than 0.5% of last year’s tax returns used Direct File.

The program was created without consulting Congress even though private-sector tax prep companies have offered their own free versions to filers with annual income below $83,000 for over two decades.

Earlier this year we called for exactly this action:

“It’s a conflict of interest of the highest order… The agency charged with extracting every possible penny for the federal bureaucracy cannot be impartial and get you — the taxpayer — every dollar you’re owed in your refund. impartial and get you — the taxpayer — every dollar you’re owed in your refund.’

DirectFile, RIP.  Score one for the often criticized DOGE initiative headed by Elon Musk, which continues to pay dividends.