IRS steps toward a new free-file tax return system have both supporters and critics mobilizing

By FATIMA HUSSEIN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plans by the IRS to test a new electronic free-file tax return system next year have got supporters and critics of the idea mobilizing over whether the government should set up a permanent program to help people file their taxes without needing to pay somebody else to figure out what they owe. On one side, civil society groups this week launched a coalition to promote the move toward a government-run free-file program. On the other, tax preparation firms like Intuit and H&R Block have been pouring millions into lobbying to try to stop the idea cold.