IRS Direct File expansion puts a pricing squeeze on the tax-prep duopoly
A government product that does not make people angry is how an oligopoly loses its pricing power — slowly, then in a hearing.
Priya NairFinance Reporter
Stacks of coins beside a growing plant
WASHINGTON — A government product that does not make people angry is how an oligopoly loses its pricing power — slowly, then in a hearing.
The 2026 filing-season expansion remains a minority channel. Intuit and H&R Block are already discounting simple returns in the states where Direct File is no longer a pilot.
Priya Nair
Finance Reporter
Writes on banks, private credit, and the regulatory perimeter around nonbank lenders.