Regional Leadership Council Discusses Success of Direct File Pilot Program with White House and U.S. Department of Treasury Officials
WASHINGTON, DC – Last Friday, members of the Regional Leadership Council (RLC) and its Chair, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), met with key officials in the Biden-Harris Administration for a conversation on the successful Direct File pilot program, which makes it easier for Americans to file their tax returns for free. Participants in the meeting included White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian and the U.S. Department of the Treasury Chief Implementation Officer for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Laurel Blatchford.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launched the Direct File pilot program this past filing season in 12 states, and over 140,000 taxpayers took advantage of the free program – exceeding the IRS’s goal. Taxpayers gave Direct File positive reviews, with 90 percent rating their experience positively and 86 percent saying it increased their trust in the IRS. The Department of Treasury and the IRS will soon decide whether to continue the successful pilot and, if so, to expand eligibility to open Direct File up to more Americans.
The Department of Treasury continues to partner with the Regional Leadership Council to implement the policies and programs that Democrats secured last year to revitalize American manufacturing, increase U.S. economic competitiveness, create a more equitable tax system, rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure, and create millions of new jobs.
"As Chair of the Regional Leadership Council and Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to ensuring that the IRS continues to improve taxpayer experience however it can,” Chair Hoyer said. “We’ve seen the success of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Direct File pilot program and know it will be a welcome resource for even more American taxpayers if extended and expanded. When a program proves effective and useful for Americans, the Regional Leadership Council will do everything it can to keep that program running."
"The numbers speak for themselves: the Direct File Pilot was a success, saving American taxpayers millions of dollars in tax preparation fees. Just one more example of how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is lowering costs for communities across the country," said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian.
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries created the Regional Leadership Council in January 2023 and appointed Congressman Hoyer to serve as its Chair. In addition to Congressman Hoyer, the council consists of twelve Members who each represent one of the United States' twelve regions. The council is working to ensure that Americans in every corner of the country and in every zip code can access the opportunities created by the historic policies that Democrats secured in the 117th Congress, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Honoring Our PACT Act, and many others.