FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The Department of Treasury, Office of Management and Budget and Internal Revenue Service will announce the details of IRS Free File during a news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday, January 16. The landmark initiative will allow the majority of Americans to prepare and file taxes online electronically for free.

Acting Treasury Secretary Kenneth W. Dam, OMB Director Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., and Acting IRS Commissioner Robert Wenzel, along with a group of taxpayers, will launch the new web-site and brief reporters. A demonstration of Free File on IRS.gov also will be conducted. The Free File program is the product of a public-private sector pact between the IRS and Free File Alliance, LLC, a consortium of tax software companies. Representatives of the companies will participate.

The event will be featured in a live Webcast available through www.ustreas.gov .

A live video broadcast of this event will be available on satellite for the free and unrestricted use by news organizations.
Live broadcast time: 10:00-11:00am EASTERN TIME
A Test Signal will be available from 9:45-10:00am EASTERN TIME
Ku-band analog satellite:  AMC2 (Ge2)
Transponder: 1K
Orbital Position: 85 west
Downlink Frequency: 11720 MHz Vertical
Transmission Contact: ConnectLive 202-513-1000

The news conference will be held at the Treasury Department’s press room (Room 4121). The room will be available for camera set up beginning at 9:00 a.m. Please note: seating at the event is limited. Media wishing to attend the event should contact one of the agencies’ press offices as early as possible.

Media without Treasury or White House press credentials should contact Treasury's Office of Public Affairs at (202) 622-2960 with the following information: name, Social Security number and date of birth. This information may also be faxed to (202) 622-1999.

Media contacts for the event are:
Tara Bradshaw at Treasury: 202-622-2960
Megan Mollmann at OMB: 202-395-7254
IRS Media Relations: 202-622-4000