The significant retooling is designed to make using the program more user friendly and more secure, according to the Internal Revenue Service, which said this week it and the members of the Free File Alliance have agreed to the changes.

The changes extend an existing memorandum of understanding by one year to Oct. 31, 2021.

Among the changes are the following:                                                                                          *Software companies must remove buttons or links on their Free File landing pages, which would take taxpayers to non-Free File programs.                                                                                                   *To qualify for the service, taxpayers must use IRS.gov to connect to a company offering Free File. Taxpayers who do not qualify for one free filing offer will be automatically returned to the IRS Free File landing page on IRS.gov so they can ascertain if they qualify for another.                                                            *Taxpayers who used Free File services from any company last year must try Free File as their first option after logging in before receiving any other offers from that provider.                                                           *Follow-up emails will be sent to welcome last year’s users to Free File this year. These communications must not contain information about any non-Free File service or product or any marketing or soliciting, except for free or paid state tax preparation offers.

About 12 companies participate annually in the Free File Alliance. Services are available to any taxpayer earning $66,000 or less annually. Some providers offer free services for both federal and state tax preparation.