New push on US-run free electronic tax-filing system for all

It’s that time of year when throngs of taxpayers are buckling down to file their income tax returns before Tuesday’s filing deadline, and many often pay to use software from private companies such as Intuit and H&R Block. Almost one-quarter of Americans wait until the last minute to file their taxes. There could be a new, free option in future years. The IRS has been tasked with looking into how to create a government-operated electronic free-file tax return system for all. But that doesn’t sit well with the big tax-prep companies. The idea has been batted around and hotly debated for a long time. Congress now has directed the IRS to report in on how such a system might work.