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Freedom Debt Relief is the first debt settlement company to offer clients free state and federal tax filing with april’s AI-powered tax platform. SAN MATEO, CalifFreedom Debt Relief is the first debt settlement company to offer clients free state and federal tax filing with april’s AI-powered tax platform. SAN MATEO, Calif

Freedom Debt Relief provides free federal and state online tax filing services from april

Author: AI Journal

Source: AI Journal

2026/02/12 05:46

6 min read

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Freedom Debt Relief is the first debt settlement company to offer clients free state and federal tax filing with april’s AI-powered tax platform.

SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Freedom Debt Relief, one of the largest and longest-running providers of debt settlement services in the U.S., is now offering free federal and state tax preparation and filing for active clients through a new partnership with april, a leading embedded tax technology platform. The new benefit is designed to help Freedom Debt Relief clients reduce the burden and expense of tax season while supporting their ongoing journey toward a better financial future.

Nonbusiness taxpayers spend an average of eight hours and $160 to prepare and file a standard Form 1040 federal tax return, according to Internal Revenue Service estimates. Freedom Debt Relief is removing these burdens for clients, helping them preserve cash flow at a critical time of the year so they can stay focused on their financial priorities.

“Tax season can be an added source of stress for people already working hard to regain control of their finances,” said Freedom Debt Relief Chief Revenue Officer Jason Pack. “By providing our clients with free tax prep and filing services, we’re helping them simplify tax season and save money as they move forward in their debt-relief journey.”

Tax prep powered by april

Through the partnership, Freedom Debt Relief clients will have access to april’s modern, AI-powered tax-filing platform that guarantees accuracy and no hidden fees. The service also includes april’s maximum refund guarantee, ensuring clients receive the largest refund or lowest tax liability they are entitled to under the law when filing through the platform.

april’s frictionless filing experience enables clients to submit a return in as little as 20 minutes with streamlined capabilities including:

Automatic inclusion of successfully settled unsecured debt obtained by Freedom Debt Relief.
Mass document upload and automatic prefill of client data based on uploaded documents.
A combined federal and state filing experience, so clients only need to sign a single Declaration of Tax Payer.
Step-by-step AI-powered chatbot assistance throughout the user journey.

The experience is designed to be straightforward and accessible, helping clients complete their returns accurately without the usual preparation fees.

“While this year marks the 40th anniversary of the IRS e-file system, the e-filing experience has remained largely unchanged and the tax code has become increasingly complex,” said april Co-founder and CEO Ben Borodach. “The april AI-powered tax engine addresses that gap, enabling Freedom Debt Relief’s clients to confidently prepare and file their taxes in as little as 20 minutes.”

Proven results for clients

Freedom Debt Relief negotiates on behalf of its clients to obtain principal reduction settlements on unsecured debts enrolled in the program. Unsecured debts that are successfully settled must be documented in clients’ income tax returns. The partnership with april ensures Freedom Debt Relief clients have a powerful tool available, at no additional cost, to help them with an extra step during tax season that they may be unfamiliar with and that’s often not included in other online tax services’ free-to-use option.

Since 2002, Freedom Debt Relief has delivered meaningful outcomes for over 2 million consumers nationwide, helping to resolve over $22 billion in unsecured debt from over 5 million accounts. Freedom Debt Relief is the only debt settlement provider recognized in USA Today’s America’s Best Customer Service for both 2025 and 2026, highlighting its focus on both results and client experience. Free access to the april tax platform is the latest in a suite of support services and features in the Freedom Debt Relief program, including:

A performance guarantee that ensures clients won’t pay more in settlements and fees than their original unsecured debt enrolled.
Access to a Legal Partner Network is provided at no extra charge in the event a creditor pursues legal action during the client’s program.
Clients receive access to a digital dashboard they can access from a web browser and dedicated mobile app to monitor progress of their program.
Freedom Debt Relief also offers some of the fastest results in the industry, with over 40% of clients receiving their first settlement terms within one month of their initial program deposit and nearly 70% receiving their first settlement within three months.

Combined, these benefits make Freedom Debt Relief the most comprehensive and cost-effective debt settlement program in the country.

“Our partnership with april is another way we’re delivering real value beyond debt negotiation alone,” Pack added. “When clients save money on taxes, they’re better positioned to stay on track and see progress sooner.”

About Freedom Debt Relief

Freedom Debt Relief is one of the largest and longest-running providers of debt settlement services in the United States. We help consumers take control of their finances by giving them a proven plan to relieve their debt burden — and in the process, help them make better financial decisions in the future. Working on behalf of its consumer clients, Freedom Debt Relief negotiates with creditors to reduce the amount of debt they owe. Freedom Debt Relief is an accredited debt settlement company based in San Mateo, Calif., and has served more than 2 million consumers, helping to resolve over $22 billion in debt since 2002.

Press Contact
[email protected]

About april

april is the only embedded, year-round tax platform built to power smarter financial decisions. From filing to planning to onboarding, april’s white-labeled tools bring real-time tax intelligence into the platforms people already use, helping users understand the impact of every paycheck, equity transaction, or income shift, and stay on top of tax payments throughout the year. Built to handle even the most complex tax situations, april’s AI-powered tax engine ingests data directly from partner apps to deliver accurate outcomes in record time—making tax planning and filing more connected, contextual, and accessible than ever. With API-first infrastructure and seamless data integrations, april helps partners deliver more value, deepen loyalty, and turn taxes into a strategic edge—for their clients and their business.

Press Contact
[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freedom-debt-relief-provides-free-federal-and-state-online-tax-filing-services-from-april-302685688.html

SOURCE Freedom Debt Relief

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The gaming industry is in the midst of a historic shift, driven by the rise of Web3. Unlike traditional games, where developers and publishers control assets and dictate in-game economies, Web3 gaming empowers players with ownership and influence. Built on blockchain technology, these ecosystems are decentralized by design, enabling true digital asset ownership, transparent economies, and a future where players help shape the games they play. However, as Web3 gaming grows, security becomes a focal point. The range of security concerns, from hacking to asset theft to vulnerabilities in smart contracts, is a significant issue that will undermine or erode trust in this ecosystem, limiting or stopping adoption. Blockchain technology could be used to create security processes around secure, transparent, and fair Web3 gaming ecosystems. We will explore how security is increasing within gaming ecosystems, which challenges are being overcome, and what the future of security looks like. Why is Security Important in Web3 Gaming? Web3 gaming differs from traditional gaming in that players engage with both the game and assets with real value attached. Players own in-game assets that exist as tokens or NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), and can trade and sell them. These game assets usually represent significant financial value, meaning security failure could represent real monetary loss. In essence, without security, the promises of owning “something” in Web3, decentralized economies within games, and all that comes with the term “fair” gameplay can easily be eroded by fraud, hacking, and exploitation. This is precisely why the uniqueness of blockchain should be emphasized in securing Web3 gaming. How Blockchain Ensures Security in Web3 Gaming?

Immutable Ownership of Assets Blockchain records can be manipulated by anyone. If a player owns a sword, skin, or plot of land as an NFT, it is verifiably in their ownership, and it cannot be altered or deleted by the developer or even hacked. This has created a proven track record of ownership, providing control back to the players, unlike any centralised gaming platform where assets can be revoked.
Decentralized Infrastructure Blockchain networks also have a distributed architecture where game data is stored in a worldwide network of nodes, making them much less susceptible to centralised points of failure and attacks. This decentralised approach makes it exponentially more difficult to hijack systems or even shut off the game’s economy.
Secure Transactions with Cryptography Whether a player buys an NFT or trades their in-game tokens for other items or tokens, the transactions are enforced by cryptographic algorithms, ensuring secure, verifiable, and irreversible transactions and eliminating the risks of double-spending or fraudulent trades.
Smart Contract Automation Smart contracts automate the enforcement of game rules and players’ economic exchanges for the developer, eliminating the need for intermediaries or middlemen, and trust for the developer. For example, if a player completes a quest that promises a reward, the smart contract will execute and distribute what was promised.
Anti-Cheating and Fair Gameplay The naturally transparent nature of blockchain makes it extremely simple for anyone to examine a specific instance of gameplay and verify the economic outcomes from that play. Furthermore, multi-player games that enforce smart contracts on things like loot sharing or win sharing can automate and measure trustlessness and avoid cheating, manipulations, and fraud by developers.
Cross-Platform Security Many Web3 games feature asset interoperability across platforms. This interoperability is made viable by blockchain, which guarantees ownership is maintained whenever assets transition from one game or marketplace to another, thereby offering protection to players who rely on transfers for security against fraud. Key Security Dangers in Web3 Gaming Although blockchain provides sound first principles of security, the Web3 gaming ecosystem is susceptible to threats. Some of the most serious threats include:

Smart Contract Vulnerabilities: Smart contracts that are poorly written or lack auditing will leave openings for exploitation and thereby result in asset loss. Phishing Attacks: Unintentionally exposing or revealing private keys or signing transactions that are not possible to reverse, under the assumption they were genuine transaction requests. Bridge Hacks: Cross-chain bridges, which allow players to move their assets between their respective blockchains, continually face hacks, requiring vigilance from players and developers. Scams and Rug Pulls: Rug pulls occur when a game project raises money and leaves, leaving player assets worthless. Regulatory Ambiguity: Global regulations remain unclear; risks exist for players and developers alike. While blockchain alone won’t resolve every issue, it remediates the responsibility of the first principles, more so when joined by processes such as auditing, education, and the right governance, which can improve their contribution to the security landscapes in game ecosystems. Real Life Examples of Blockchain Security in Web3 Gaming Axie Infinity (Ronin Hack): The Axie Infinity game and several projects suffered one of the biggest hacks thus far on its Ronin bridge; however, it demonstrated the effectiveness of multi-sig security and the effective utilization of decentralization. The industry benefited through learning and reflection, thus, as projects have implemented changes to reduce the risks of future hacks or misappropriation. Immutable X: This Ethereum scaling solution aims to ensure secure NFT transactions for gaming, allowing players to trade an asset without the burden of exorbitant fees and fears of being a victim of fraud. Enjin: Enjin is providing a trusted infrastructure for Web3 games, offering secure NFT creation and transfer while reiterating that ownership and an asset securely belong to the player. These examples indubitably illustrate that despite challenges to overcome, blockchain remains the foundational layer on which to build more secure Web3 gaming environments. Benefits of Blockchain Security for Players and Developers For Players: Confidence in true ownership of assets Transparency in in-game economies Protection against nefarious trades/scams For Developers: More trust between players and the platform Less reliance on centralized infrastructure Ability to attract wealth and players based on provable fairness By incorporating blockchain security within the mechanics of game design, developers can create and enforce resilient ecosystems where players feel reassured in investing time, money, and ownership within virtual worlds. The Future of Secure Web3 Gaming Ecosystems As the wisdom of blockchain technology and industry knowledge improves, the future for secure Web3 gaming looks bright. New growing trends include: Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs): A new wave of protocols that enable private transactions and secure smart contracts while managing user privacy with an element of transparency. Decentralized Identity Solutions (DID): Helping players control their identities and decrease account theft risks. AI-Enhanced Security: Identifying irregularities in user interactions by sampling pattern anomalies to avert hacks and fraud by time-stamping critical events. Interoperable Security Standards: Allowing secured and seamless asset transfers across blockchains and games. With these innovations, blockchain will not only secure gaming assets but also enhance the overall trust and longevity of Web3 gaming ecosystems. Conclusion Blockchain is more than a buzzword in Web3; it is the only way to host security, fairness, and transparency. With blockchain, players confirm immutable ownership of digital assets, there is a decentralized infrastructure, and finally, it supports smart contracts to automate code that protects players and developers from the challenges of digital economies. The threats, vulnerabilities, and scams that come from smart contracts still persist, but the industry is maturing with better security practices, cross-chain solutions, and increased formal cryptographic tools. In the coming years, blockchain will remain the base to digital economies and drive Web3 gaming environments that allow players to safely own, trade, and enjoy their digital experiences free from fraud and exploitation. While blockchain and gaming alone entertain, we will usher in an era of secure digital worlds where trust complements innovation. The Role of Blockchain in Building Safer Web3 Gaming Ecosystems was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story