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Comment by Nikbul | Hacker News Reader

If you follow down the original on ProPublica and find comments there, you will see that there was no such provision. And the one that actually referencing IRS is says that IRS should continue to cooperate with private sector to make free tax filing and must maintain free portal. I would like to see actual provision to which this website referencing, otherwise it is click bait.

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When a highly-respected group of reporters like ProPublica run a story, it’s reasonable to assume they’ve done more research than the average commenter. In this case:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1957...

> The Secretary of the Treasury, or the Secretary’s delegate, shall continue to operate the IRS Free File Program as established by the Internal Revenue Service and published in the Federal Register on November 4, 2002 (67 Fed. Reg. 67247), including any subsequent agreements and governing rules established pursuant thereto.

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2002-11-04/02-27909/s...

> during its term, the IRS will not compete with the private sector by providing free on-line tax preparation and filing services to taxpayers

It's in the referenced contracts.

That statute states IRS should continue the program (67 Fed. Reg. 67247), "including any subsequent agreements and governing rules established pursuant thereto."

In 67 Fed. Reg. 67247: "During the term of this Agreement, the IRS will not compete with the Consortium in providing free, on-line tax return preparation and filing services to taxpayers."

Yeah, and unless the IRS has imminent plans to implement free tax filing this new clause has no real effect. It's not a constitutional amendment, if the IRS wants to offer this service in 5 years they'll probably need a huge multi-year appropriation and this clause to be revoked. Adding it in to this bill costs nothing and probably made the GOP reps willing to sign on.

Of course IRS can go back to congress and revoke this.. Yes, this this make the GOP reps willing to sign on.

The question is: why we want this bill? It is not giving any benefit.

That's what "ban the IRS from creating a free e-filing system" means.

The bill has dozens of provisions around taxpayer protections. One of them is to affirm the Free File program. That's not the only thing in the bill at all.

http://disq.us/p/21153z5

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