The IRS could change the way Americans file their taxes

[{"selector":"#anim-ecac2c90-acf2-456a-9ea0-e0868a4ef6c8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

President Biden signed The Inflation Reduction Act which is now law from Tuesday.

[{"selector":"#anim-71f5957f-1870-4f41-9751-91efe53ed42c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.22961945131945%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-af5d6bbf-fac2-46a8-9748-a5803c8f67c0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a8de78b2-604d-4dbd-ba3e-e7e605468baf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 223.14816%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Under this law the US government provided $80 billion in funding for the IRS including $15 million to deliver a report for free.

[{"selector":"#anim-fd7c8839-ef2f-4e02-a4cc-10fd5b5df7b3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b69f6c8-d6a7-4389-9fe7-f5a8c03f8e77","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8430cab-9208-49bc-a8b0-fb6072e31594","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 171.37775%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

But the agency is on a tight deadline to deliver.

[{"selector":"#anim-82f2a3e8-116e-49df-b86a-bc72d205d467 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(30.997387192675756%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac3c1d5f-d384-4722-a9ec-537804d38acb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-040bc48a-5d05-4924-a632-0d3d5f676651","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 324.57917%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The agency has only about a year to turn in its e-filing report.

[{"selector":"#anim-5c516ecf-b0e6-49b6-97e8-94597b71bf2e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f63ee3dc-7694-4fcd-b14c-4ed737becfd1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0bf53298-d442-4592-86ff-3fa6a89097e7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 324.57917%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The agency has to figure out how much an online filing system would cost, the design of the system and how taxpayers would feel about using one.

[{"selector":"#anim-58135049-e98a-4cc5-9985-263cc9b1328a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3766b403-9f97-4e51-a391-2afccbc2b60d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ddc8c92c-1ce5-4467-9276-b6eb1c9497eb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 138.20786%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Tax experts say the system could take two basic forms: one more conservative in scope and one more far-reaching.

[{"selector":"#anim-cb946fcc-13c4-49d5-8519-f0b50803dc49 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.22961945131945%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-92881caa-866c-448a-8bf3-5f0a3439b1bb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-610bfae1-13bf-4b8e-bfb0-63c758035f5d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 171.37775%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The more conservative option would be a standardized government version of popular commercial software from companies like Intuit, H&R Block and TaxACT that prompts users to fill out a digital tax return.

[{"selector":"#anim-266c76fb-8341-4c8d-b0b2-d7be7a2ccb88 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.26621960950754%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4982cad-3091-4fc1-a5ba-af345a95ce1f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9a2a3341-9658-4c93-b759-38a312816ae8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 127.08013%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

In its agreement with commercial providers, the IRS signed a noncompete clause promising not to make its own free software tool

[{"selector":"#anim-9f3ac3b1-c21b-4b77-a4a8-987078ac4627 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.862124654907205%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ae3fccaf-827a-49bf-988e-6a41503abafc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0bab0a2b-c91a-48e1-9acc-2af70211b3b7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 218.57777%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]