The IRS is considering whether to continue its Direct File program — a free, government-run online tax filing tool. This program offers Americans a simple, secure, and no-cost way to file their taxes online, without having to pay for commercial tax-prep software. Democrats Abroad has been advocating for Direct File to be expanded for Americans abroad so we don’t have to pay to file we prove no U.S. tax.
The IRS is now collecting public feedback through a survey. We need your help to tell the IRS they need to help Americans abroad!
👉 Take the survey here (it only takes a few minutes) (deadline Sept. 5):
https://irsresearch.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ewDJ6DeBj3ockGa
To make sure your voice has the greatest impact, we’ve prepared a step-by-step response guide. It will walk you through how to answer the survey in ways that highlight strong support for Direct File and encourage the IRS to keep and expand the program. Of course, these are only suggestions, but we hope the guide is helpful.
What you can do:
- Fill out the IRS survey today (deadline Sept. 5)
- Follow the response guide for maximum impact.
- Share this with other Americans abroad and encourage them to participate.
Hurry! Do it before the survey closes on September 5!
Together, we can help ensure that Direct File remains a free, secure, and accessible option for taxpayers everywhere.
Guide for Answering the IRS Direct File Survey
Q1. Did you file a 2024 federal income tax return?
👉 Suggested answer: Yes
- You can answer yes to this question, even if you are waiting until the October 15th or December 15th deadline to file.
Q2. How did you prepare your 2024 federal income tax return?
👉 Suggested answers:
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I prepared it myself using software or an online program I purchased (This shows you’d switch if IRS option existed).
- OR I used a paid tax preparer (This shows Direct File would reduce dependency on costly private services).
Avoid choosing “I prepared it myself using free software” — this suggests you don’t need Direct File.
Q3. How interested are you in using a free online tax preparation program to prepare your next federal income tax return?
👉 Suggested answer: Extremely interested
✅ Overall Strategy: Always choose the option that shows maximum demand for an IRS-run Direct File program. Emphasize security, correctness, accessibility, and usefulness abroad in any “Other” comments.
Q4. What features do you expect a free online tax preparation program to have? (Select all that apply)
👉 Suggest selecting all of these:
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✅ It is easy to use
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✅ My information is kept secure
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✅ My return is prepared correctly
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✅ It is mobile-friendly
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✅ It has a low cost to the federal government
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✅ It can file both my federal and state taxes at the same time
- ✅ Other → (Fill in: It should be accessible to Americans abroad and handle international tax situations, such as the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE), foreign tax credits, and information reports such as FBAR and Form 8938)
Q5. How likely would you be to use an online tax preparation program that was free for federal returns but required a small fee for state returns?
👉 Suggested answer: Extremely likely (or Somewhat likely)
- Americans abroad generally do not have to file state tax returns, so we don’t have to worry about paying a fee for state returns anyway.
Q6. How likely would you be to use an online tax preparation program that was free for both federal and state returns, but the state return required a separate state-run program?
👉 Suggested answer: Extremely likely (or Somewhat likely)
- Americans abroad generally do not have to file state tax returns, so a separate state-run program is nearly irrelevant in our situation.
Q7. If you had the option of choosing a free online tax preparation program with all the features you need, which one would you be most likely to use?
👉 Suggested answer: A program paid for and operated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Ensures IRS ownership instead of outsourcing to for-profit companies like Intuit or H&R Block.
Q8. While a program operated by the IRS is free to you, it costs the government ~$10–20 per return. Knowing this, which of the following applies to you?
👉 Suggested answer: I am more likely to choose this IRS free online tax preparation program
- $10-20 is nothing compared to what Americans abroad generally pay for tax preparation which usually runs into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars just to prove we don’t owe anything.
Q9. If you had the option of using an easy-to-use, free online tax preparation program that has all the features you need, how likely would you be to use that program to file your next federal income tax return?
👉 Suggested answer: Extremely likely
- Shows strong demand and interest in the IRS providing this service, which would significantly cut out-of-pocket costs for Americans abroad.