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Thursday, September 7th, 2023

Tax prep companies that spent over $90 million lobbying against free tax-filing system face new scrutiny

Author:     Anna Massoglia
Source:     Raw Story / Open Secrets
Publication Date:     September 3, 2023 | 4:15 AM ET
 Link: Tax prep companies that spent over $90 million lobbying against free tax-filing system face new scrutiny
Stephan:  

Another tale of Congressional corruption, only this time two of the rare Congressional members who actually do their jobs and promote wellbeing, Katie Porter and Elizabeth Warren, are trying to put a stop to this tax preparation profit pig.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA, center) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA, right) have pressed tax prep special interests for additional information about their lobbying activities and revenue. Credit: Scott Olson / Getty 

Leading tax prep companies have poured $90 million into lobbying on the Free File Program and other issues since the program’s inception in 2003, a new OpenSecrets analysis found.

Now the lobbying juggernauts are facing mounting scrutiny from members of Congress over their deployment of “revolving door” lobbyists in alleged attempts to undermine the federal government’s adoption of a government-run system that would allow taxpayers to file for free.

After years of lobbying and negotiations, a coalition of tax prep companies called the Free File Alliance reached a deal with the IRS to offer free tax prep services to a larger portion of taxpayers starting in 2003. The agreement, spearheaded by Intuit lobbyists, required companies to provide some tax filing services at no cost to certain individuals, those same companies could still charge for ancillary services and other tax-filing products.

As a part of the […]

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1 Comment

  1. Albus Eddie on Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 6:10 am

    This has been a very profitable scam for many years. I hope Elizabeth Warren is successful in ending it.