(CNN) — When it comes to their federal income tax returns, tens of millions of US households pay for tax preparation and filing. Yet many might qualify to do so for free through IRS-approved programs.

The agency still offers a Free File program that works with commercial tax software firms. Some companies also offer free tools for certain filers. By Ann Carrns The federal government tested a free, ...

A venerable IRS program called Free File allows 70% of taxpayers to file their taxes for free, just as the name implies. Only 2% of taxpayers used the service in 2024. That is the finding of a ...