EXCLUSIVE: Finance Committee Democrats push IRS Direct File but won’t say if they use it themselves

Senate Democrats used a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing to defend the Biden-era IRS Direct File program and attack its termination, but when asked a basic question about their own use of the program, none would say they used it.

During the hearing, Democrats repeatedly raised Direct File in questioning IRS CEO Frank J. Bisignano, criticizing the Trump administration’s decision to shut the program down. 

But the Washington Reporter found a notable gap between the public advocacy and personal use. The Reporter contacted every Senate Democrat on the Finance Committee and asked whether they filed their own taxes using Direct File and how their experience was. No Democrat responded indicating they had used the program.

Finance Committee Ranking Member Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Or.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) have been some of of the program’s most vocal defenders, accusing the administration of siding with large tax preparation companies at the expense of working taxpayers. However, neither Senator responded when asked if they personally used the program for their taxes.

That silence comes as Direct File has faced sustained criticism as duplicative, costly, and a conflict of interest. As previously reported by the Reporter, Republicans and outside analysts have warned the program created a clear conflict of interest by allowing the IRS to act as both tax collector and tax preparer. 

The program launched as a pilot in 2024 and expanded in 2025, but struggled to gain broad adoption. The Trump administration moved to terminate Direct File citing low participation and high per-user costs.

At the hearing, Bisignano defended that decision, describing Direct File as a “costly, unnecessary and less popular duplication” of existing services and pointing to a smooth 2026 filing season without it.

Democrats continue to defend the program in hearings and public statements. When it comes to their own tax filings, they are far less willing to say they relied on it.

The Reporter will update this story if any Senate Democrats respond and acknowledge that they relied on the IRS Direct File program for their taxes.