BRAD WENSTRUP: The IRS Wants To Prepare Your Taxes Now

Ronald Reagan’s infamous “nine most dangerous words in the English language” continue to ring remarkably prophetic. This time it’s the IRS that is “here to help.”

Courtesy of the Biden-Harris deceptively named Inflation Reduction Act, authorized a pilot program, Direct File, was initiated to go beyond collecting the tax dollars of a few “lucky” taxpayers, but to also prepare their filings. While the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should be well versed in tax law, they are hardly a neutral party tax preparer. The intent was that if the pilot program went well, Direct File could expand and be used for every American taxpayer. What could possibly go wrong?

Not surprisingly, the results of the Direct File pilot program were predictably disastrous. A March 2025 Inspector General report revealed that it cost taxpayers millions more than expected, shortchanged filers on deserved credits, and left the program’s users confused, dissatisfied and without representation.

The IRS, as a tax preparation services business, is what Winston Churchill would call “a bull that comes with its own China shop.” Think about the IRS not only collecting our taxes but telling us how much we owed. Unfortunately, that is exactly what may happen — and soon. A Republican Congress can stop it.

As a former member of the United States House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee, I helped oversee the IRS. Currently, the agency has one job — to collect the revenue that funds the U.S. government. And the simple truth is that the IRS has struggled to fulfill its existing obligations for years. Every year, taxpayers complain about errors, poor customer service, and refund delays. Members of Congress know this well as so many of our constituents seek assistance though our offices when they are put off or ignored by agencies. To their credit, the IRS agents to which our office had direct access, were responsive when our office called, which only came after constituents were unable to make headway on their own.

Which raises the question: If the IRS, an agency perceived as inefficient and anti-consumer, cannot efficiently perform its core mission, how or why should it be given greater responsibilities?