As Tax Filing Season Ends, Senator Murray Highlights Successes of Direct File Pilot in Washington State

As of early April, taxpayers had used Direct File to claim more than $30 million in refunds and saved millions in filing fees

WA State Taxpayer on Direct File: “It was the most convenient way I’ve ever filed my taxes… I got to be honest, it surprised me how simple it was.”

Washington, D.C. – As the 2024 tax filing season comes to a close, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement celebrating the completion of the first Direct File Pilot Program in twelve states, including Washington state. Direct File is a new service through the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that allows eligible taxpayers to prepare and file their tax return online, for free, directly with the IRS—rather than going through a middleman website and being forced to pay to file their taxes.

“Americans should not have to shell out money just to file their taxes. Taxpayers should be able to file their taxes directly with the IRS through a secure, free platform—and this tax season, that started to become a reality.

“Democrats made a worthwhile investment in the IRS to help ensure giant corporations and the very wealthiest would pay at least the taxes they already owe—part of that investment also means a more efficient IRS that can provide better services and create tools like Direct File that will save people money.”  

In January 2024, the IRS launched the Direct File pilot program for taxpayers with simple filing situations living in twelve states: Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. The pilot was initially launched on an invite-only basis, and launched publicly in March 2024 to all eligible taxpayers. As of early April 2024, taxpayers had used the Direct File service to claim more than $30 million in refunds and saved millions in filing fees. 

The Direct File pilot program received positive reviews from outlets including the Washington Post, Vox, and The New Republic. Many outlets also reported great experiences from users of the Direct File service: 

• “It was the most convenient way I’ve ever filed my taxes,” said a taxpayer in Washington State. “I got to be honest, it surprised me how simple it was.”
• “I don’t want to call myself a dummy, but this is taxes for dummies right here,” said the first Direct File user, an HR specialist in Texas who saved nearly $400 in tax prep fees. 
• “It was the fastest I’ve ever done my taxes,” said one taxpayer in California.  “I didn’t have to worry about someone upselling me.”
• “It was a walk in the park,” said another Californian, who “basically did my taxes on my lunch break” and saved $100 that he would have otherwise spent to file his taxes.

Direct File was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, landmark legislation Senator Murray helped pass as then-Assistant Majority Leader. The Inflation Reduction Act invested new resources in the IRS to allow the agency to provide world class service to taxpayers, including by developing new tools like Direct File that make it easier for Americans to file their taxes. This investment in the IRS will also reduce the deficit by ensuring wealthy individuals, large corporations, and complex partnerships pay taxes owed.

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