Direct File was launched as a pilot program in 2024. It allowed eligible taxpayers in a limited number of states to file their federal returns directly with the IRS at no cost. The program was ...

Elizabeth Guevara is a personal finance reporter who explains the world of business and economics and how it impacts your finances. She joined Investopedia in 2024. zeljkosantrac / Getty Images The ...

The IRS Direct File program is no longer available. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Economic Security Project) We knew that it was coming, but now we know for sure: Direct File, the free ...

IRS Direct File is back again this year with significantly expanded eligibility despite confusion over whether Elon Musk had “deleted” it. (He didn’t.) Money; Getty Images This tax season, millions ...

With Tax Day approaching, taxpayers who haven’t filed yet could have a great option. Half the states now have access to a zero-cost tool created by the IRS called Direct File that allows people to ...

The Internal Revenue Service has ended its Direct File program for the 2026 filing season, pulling back a government-run tool that let some taxpayers submit returns online at no cost. The move affects ...

The Trump administration has shut down the IRS’s two-year-old experiment in free streamlined tax filing, but the people behind Direct File don’t want to let it go quietly. The massive tax-and-spending ...

The IRS shut down its direct filing program for 2026, but Free File, Fillable Forms, MilTax, and some private tools remain—if you know where to look. Here’s how to navigate the free options still ...

Thomas is a native of upstate New York and a graduate of the University at Albany. As a former member of CNET's How To team, he wrote about the intersection of policy, information and technology, and ...

This tax season, millions more Americans will be eligible to file their federal taxes for free using the IRS’s new Direct File software. Though Tax Day is more than three months away, the IRS is ...