IRS gets power to autofill your taxes for free—and tax prep firms are watching
H.R. 8299 — Autofill Act of 2026 · Filed by Bill Foster (D-IL) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Apr 15, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the IRS to create a free online tool that automatically fills in tax forms (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ) with information the IRS already has—wages, self-employment income, and other reported data—so taxpayers can download pre-populated forms and verify them before filing. Taxpayers remain responsible for accuracy, and the IRS must make this tool available by February 2027, with data formats suitable for both printing and automated tax software.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is establishing a free IRS service that pre-populates tax forms with government-held data. It is a straightforward administrative modernization aimed at reducing taxpayer burden and filing errors.
What the text implies
- The bill does not restrict private tax-preparation software companies from offering their own autofill services or competing with the IRS tool; however, a free government alternative may reduce demand for paid tax-prep services and could accelerate industry consolidation or shift revenue models.
- By making pre-populated forms available in computer-readable format, the bill enables automated tax-prep software to ingest IRS data directly, potentially reducing the market for manual data-entry services and increasing reliance on software platforms.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
taxpayers (reduced filing costs and time); IRS (reduced call volume and error-correction workload)