Today in America, an individual taxpayer is estimated to spend 13 hours and $270 in out-of-pocket costs to do one of the few things our government requires most adults to do: file an annual tax return. Paying taxes and filing returns are an important part of being a responsible citizen — but the burden we place on Americans just to fulfill this basic duty is excessive.

No one should be forced to pay a percentage of their paycheck or their tax return because they do not have the tools to file for free.

In Maryland, we announced this week that we are embarking on the next steps to streamline our tax system and reduce the work, the cost and the confusion of tax filing by offering a free and easier process for many Marylanders for both federal and state tax returns. For the 2025 tax filing season, our state will join a dozen others in partnering with the Internal Revenue Service to offer Direct File, a free, online platform designed to make tax return filing more convenient, secure and accessible for taxpayers. This program, created by the Biden-Harris Administration and members of Maryland’s congressional delegation through the Inflation Reduction Act and implemented through a partnership with the comptroller of Maryland, will modernize the tax return-filing experience and save taxpayers time and money.

Starting in 2025, Marylanders will be able to take advantage of this service for both their state and federal taxes. The Office of the Comptroller is working with a nonprofit, Code for America, to build a platform that will securely transfer information from a federal tax return to a state tax return. This service will provide Marylanders with a straightforward path for their tax returns that saves time on paperwork and reduces wait times for a refund, saves money on out-of-pocket tax preparation costs and safeguards personal information that could be at risk when filing a paper return.

Direct File offers a more efficient and convenient way for taxpayers to file their returns — reducing an administrative burden that most Americans would rather avoid. We know that an overwhelming majority of tax returns are filed electronically. During the 2022 federal fiscal year, 2.9 million of the more than 3.1 million individual filings in Maryland, or 92%, were submitted to the Office of the Comptroller electronically.

With access to Direct File, eligible Maryland taxpayers will have access to a free and easily accessible online platform where they can submit their returns. In the national program’s pilot testing phase earlier this year, 140,000 filers across 12 states saved an estimated $5.6 million in filing costs and claimed over $90 million in refunds. It is clear these commonsense changes will save Americans time and money and create a fairer tax-filing process.

The positive impacts don’t stop there. The trial showed that direct electronic filing will allow the IRS and Maryland Comptroller’s Office to process returns quickly and to deliver refunds directly to taxpayers’ bank accounts without the risk of those funds being lost, misdelivered or stolen. In the age of data breaches and scammers active on the dark web, Americans need to keep a close eye on their credit reports and be discerning about where and how they share their personal information. Direct File provides a more secure method of sharing personal identifying information and financial details and supports the work of the Office of the Comptroller to modernize our tax system and better serve Marylanders. With the new filing process, Marylanders will have one fewer place to share information and can be confident in the security protections in place to store that information.

Finally, Direct File will seek to provide robust support to filers without paying a premium.

Direct File and its complement in Maryland are designed to be user-friendly, asking a series of questions to determine eligibility. It will guide users through the free filing process with clear instructions, tutorials and a live chat feature connecting directly with a person who can answer questions at no cost. At a time when Americans grapple daily with the cost of essentials for their families, offering a free alternative to expensive software and middlemen makes sense and can better serve taxpayers in identifying eligibility for possible tax deductions and credits. This important step advances our shared goal of creating a more equitable tax system and allows Marylanders to save money.

In 2025, Direct File will be available to certain taxpayers with relatively straightforward tax returns — but we all hope to see it expanded so that every American can benefit from it. The continued success of Direct File as it becomes a permanent option is dependent on adequate funding for the IRS from Congress. Unfortunately, the program’s success and the IRS are under attack by Republicans in Congress. For the good of American taxpayers, we will continue to push back against those attempts.

Together — as members of the Maryland federal delegation and as the state comptroller — we are committed to simplifying the tax filing process and creating a simpler and more secure tax experience for all Americans.

We encourage Marylanders to try something new by visiting directfile.irs.gov and trying out Maryland’s new personal online filing site when it launches in 2025.

Brooke E. Lierman (brooke@marylandtaxes.gov) is the 34th comptroller of Maryland. Chris Van Hollen is a U.S. senator for Maryland and chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. Steny Hoyer represents Maryland’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves as ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government.