Maryland

Maryland joins IRS Direct File program, offering free tax filing for up to 700,000 taxpayers – Maryland Matters

Published

7 months ago

September 5, 2024

Maryland joins IRS Direct File program, offering free tax filing for up to 700,000 taxpayers – Maryland Matters

Some Maryland taxpayers will be able to use a free electronic filing tool for their federal taxes rather than having to pay a tax preparer or buy tax-filing software next year, when Maryland will offer the IRS’s new Direct File service.

The service was tested in 12 states this year, where 140,803 people filed with Direct File, saving an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees. Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) estimated Wednesday that as many as 700,000 Maryland taxpayers could be eligible for the program when it debuts in the state next year.

“While we value our relationship with tax preparers and CPAs (certified public accountants), it’s unacceptable that Marylanders should have to pay any portion whatsoever of their refund or paycheck to fulfill a mandatory requirement like filing tax returns,” Lierman said at a news conference announcing the program.

The IRS and the U.S. Treasury still have to finalize eligibility rules for the program this fall, but Lierman said it will be a “game changer” for those families who do qualify, which could be as much as 20% of individual taxpayers in the state.

“Taxes are a part of the glue that keeps our state and our nation together, functioning, producing, protecting and thriving,” Lierman said. “Yet in America, we make it uniquely challenging to pay those taxes and file a return — until now.”

According to the Treasury, taxpayers spend “approximately 13 hours and $270 preparing their taxes each year.” Many Americans use tax filing services or software, such as TurboTax and H&R Block, to ensure that their taxes are filed correctly, despite most of the information being readily available state and federal tax collection agencies.

It’s unacceptable that Marylanders should have to pay any portion whatsoever of their refund or paycheck to fulfill a mandatory requirement like filing tax returns.

– Comptroller Brooke Lierman

Direct File launched this year in 12 states for people to file their 2023 federal returns — Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the program is aimed at helping middle-income tax filers with “relatively simple” filings.

“What I can tell you is our goal for us is to build a system that’s going to work for working class and middle class Americans. So you get a W-2, and you’re somebody who’s a teacher, you’re a fireman, you’re a doctor who’s earning most of your money from a W-2, we want to make sure we’re building a system that potentially works for you,” said Adeyemo, who was in Annapolis for the announcement.

“The thing we’re not going to do is build a system that works for big corporations or wealthy individuals. Next year we’re going to expand the system so that more Americans are able to participate in it,” Adeyemo said.

The Biden administration invited all 50 states and the District of Columbia to join the program next year, when people will be filing their 2024 taxes. The Treasury said that Maryland joins Oregon, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Connecticut, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Maine in taking up Direct File.

“I know to some, this announcement may seem inconsequential — and I know how exciting tax announcements are,” Gov. Wes Moore (D) joked at the announcement. “But the details matter. They matter to the families who are impacted by this work. They’re going to matter to the families, who … dread tax season because it feels complicated. Who dread tax season because it seems expensive, or oftentimes have to deal with the consequences of getting something wrong.”

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) discussing Maryland’s participation in the Direct File program on Sept. 4, 2024. Photo by Danielle J. Brown.

The Direct File program came out of the Inflation Reduction Act signed in 2022, which also secured additional funding to help the IRS modernize and provide better services to Americans.

But Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who chairs a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, said Direct File program and other services under the Inflation Reduction Act could be “under threat.” While his subcommittee wants to fully fund the IRS and keep Direct File going, House leaders want to cut funding for both.

He also said that the industry is lobbying against the free tax filing system.

“There are people who didn’t want us to do this, including a lot of the middlemen” who currently profit from tax preparation, Van Hollen said. “They’re lobbying against this kind of thing.”

In addition to Van Hollen, Moore, Lierman and Adeyemo, Wednesday’s event drew a number of Maryland Democratic heavyweights: U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, U.S. Reps. Steny Hoyer John Sarbanes and State Treasurer Dereck Davis.

Hoyer put it simply: “Nobody likes taxes.”

“We don’t really get excited about paying our taxes. But we know that it is the price of our democracy,” Hoyer said. “We ought to make it as easy as possible for people to comply with a legal obligation that they have to support their country, their state and their communities.”

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Maryland

After 300 Years, Maryland's 1667 brick chapel reopens to the public

Published

5 hours ago

March 22, 2025

Press Room

After 300 Years, Maryland's 1667 brick chapel reopens to the public

On April 12, Maryland’s Historic St. Mary’s City will open the doors of its reconstructed Brick Chapel. Visitors will be able to explore the fully completed interior, including the altar, altar rail, and tabernacle, for the first time since its closure over 300 years ago.

The Brick Chapel, originally built in 1667, has been dormant for over three centuries. Its reopening marks the culmination of decades of archaeological research, historical study, and preservation efforts dedicated to one of Maryland’s sites of religious freedom.

At 1:00 p.m. on the day of the opening, Sheriff Steve Hall will ceremonially unlock the doors, symbolically reversing the 1704 closure by Sheriff John Coode. This act invites the public to step into Maryland’s cradle of religious freedom.

Travis G. Parno, PhD, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the opening event and will also emcee the lecture series, discussing future plans. An afternoon lecture series will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center Auditorium at 18751 Hogaboom Lane, St. Mary’s City, Maryland. Seating for both the opening session and the lecture series is first come, first served; there is no reserved seating, according to The BayNet.

Henry Miller, PhD, Senior Research Fellow at Historic St. Mary’s City, will speak on history and goals. “The Chapel Exhibit is a major step in telling the public about two of Maryland’s most significant legacies, Liberty of Conscience and the Free Exercise of Religion as official policies of a government,” he said, according to The Southern Maryland Chronicle. He added, “At the same time, it also represents the beginning place of the Catholic Faith in the English colonies that became the United States.”

The Brick Chapel is not just a building; it is a time capsule that includes additional exhibit elements relating the story of how archaeological study has contributed to the understanding of 17th-century religious practice. Artifacts like lead cames and Jesuit rings guided the rebuild of the chapel, according to Historic St. Mary’s City archives cited by The Southern Maryland Chronicle.

Since excavations began in the 1930s, over 200 burials have surfaced nearby, according to site records. These burials whisper tales of early settlers and reveal 17th-century faith practices. The site was rediscovered through archaeological excavations in the 20th century and has been reborn through grit and archaeology.

After its closure in 1704 by order of the royal governor, the bricks of the Brick Chapel were repurposed for other structures, having been scattered by royal decree. The reopening of the chapel marks a homecoming for a site that shaped America’s early tolerance, according to The BayNet.

Historic St. Mary’s City is set on the banks of the St. Mary’s River. The museum spans hundreds of acres, with ongoing archaeological excavations, historical reconstructions, and exhibits. Through research, education, and storytelling, Historic St. Mary’s City connects the present with the past. It offers a deeper understanding of the people, cultures, and ideas that shaped early America.

The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.

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Maryland

GRAND CANYON VS MARYLAND PREDICTION, PICKS & BEST BETS FOR TODAY’S MARCH MADNESS GAME

Published

16 hours ago

March 21, 2025

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GRAND CANYON VS MARYLAND PREDICTION, PICKS & BEST BETS FOR TODAY’S MARCH MADNESS GAME

Logan’s prediction: No. 13 seed Grand Canyon will give No. 4 seed Maryland all it can handle early on in this West region contest.

Mar 21, 2025 • 13:29 ET

• 4 min read

Photo By – Imagn Images. GCU Lopes players Jason Amador (12), Collin Moore (8), Tyon Grant-Foster (7), JaKobe Coles (21) and Ray Harrison (0).

Today’s March Madness matchup between the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins and No. 13 Grand Canyon Antelopes has the potential to be one of the best games of the Round of 64.

The Terrapins have been circled for tournament glory since conference play, with a dynamic offense and a Top-40 defense out of the Big Ten. They run into an exciting Antelopes squad that nearly flipped the bracket upside down last year and have the potential to do it again in 2025.

I’m a big fan of GCU, at least in the first 20 minutes. That’s where you’ll find my best Grand Canyon vs. Maryland predictions and March Madness picks for Friday, March 21.

Who will win Grand Canyon vs Maryland?

While I think GCU can put a scare in the Terps, Maryland will advance to the Round of 32. The odds currently give the Terrapins an implied win probability of 86%.

Grand Canyon vs Maryland prediction

My best bet: Grand Canyon 1H +6 (-110 at bet365)

Flash back to last March and the Grand Canyon Antelopes are standing toe-to-toe with Alabama in the Round of 32. Grand Canyon did lose that matchup with the Crimson Tide, but the experience let Bryce Drew & Co. know they can play with anyone in the country.

This season, Grand Canyon could have a better shot at getting back to the Round of 32 and beyond.

Tyon Grant-Foster had an up-and-down year due to injury but is healthy for this postseason run and has support with transfer JaKobe Coles sharing the scoring load. All in all, GCU has four players scoring double figures.

The Antelopes up-tempo attack is fueled by chaos on the defensive end. Grand Canyon holds foes to the 26th-lowest effective field goal rate and it sucks opponents in with its frenetic pace, leading to 15 forced turnovers per contest. The Lopes then flip those miscues into buckets, scoring almost 16 POTOVs an outing.

If these attributes sound familiar, it’s because the Maryland Terrapins are cut from a very similar cloth.

The Terrapins have the No. 6 defense in the country and are excellent at transforming turnovers into points (18 POTOV). Maryland also gets scoring from multiple sources, with the now infamous “Crab Five” featuring every starter scoring 12-plus points per game.

So why stick to the first half spread with GCU?

Grand Canyon comes out swinging, scoring 38.4 points in the first half (29th in the country), and its talent and defense will keep things close in the opening 20 minutes. The Antelopes own the second best first-half defensive rating in the country (behind only Houston) and sit just ahead of Maryland in that derivative metric.

The biggest difference between these two programs is the Terrapins’ outside shooting. Maryland can get streaky from distance but once the Big Dance nerves settle, I expect the Terps to start taking and making more shots from the perimeter. They’ll make adjustments at halftime, and their surplus of skills will eventually tip the scales.

Grand Canyon has managed to cover the spread in just 13 of its past 34 games (38%) but has covered the 1H spread in 19 of those same outings (56%). The Antelopes own an average 1H margin of +7.2 but see that tighten to +1.7 in the second half.

Full game projections range from Maryland -14 to -7 with my number at Terps -10.5. This spread got as high as Maryland -11.5 before coming down a point. However, the first half line jumped from GCU +5.5 to +6 and doesn’t reflect just how strong the Lopes are from the tipoff.

Grand Canyon vs Maryland same-game parlay (SGP)

Grand Canyon 1H +7.5

Under 71.5 1H

Ja’Kobi Gillespie 2+ threes

The Antelopes put Maryland on its heels in the first 20 minutes. The SGP menu offers +7.5 as the closest 1H derivative.

We have the No. 2 and No. 3 1H defenses in the country. Let’s say points come at a premium in the opening frame.

Gillespie will hit two or more triples to push the Terps ahead in the second half.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

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Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game CBB moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your school goes up by 15+ points!

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Grand Canyon vs Maryland odds

Grand Canyon vs Maryland live odds

Grand Canyon vs Maryland opening odds

Spread: Grand Canyon +11 | Maryland -11
Moneyline: Grand Canyon +464 | Maryland -621
Over/Under: Over 150.5 | Under 150.5

Odds courtesy of bet365

Grand Canyon vs Maryland betting trend to know

Grand Canyon has covered the 1H spread in 19 of its last 34 games (+2.75 Unit /7% ROI) while going 13-21 ATS on the full-game spread. Find more college basketball betting trends for Grand Canyon vs. Maryland.

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How to watch Grand Canyon vs Maryland

Region	West
Location	Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Date	Friday, 3-21-2025
Tip-off	4:35 p.m. ET
TV	TBS

Grand Canyon vs Maryland key injuries

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