IRS Direct File is back again this year with significantly expanded eligibility despite confusion over whether Elon Musk had “deleted” it. (He didn’t.)

The Internal Revenue Service launched a pilot program last year that allows people to file their taxes directly with the federal government for free. This project is known as Direct File and has since expanded to 25 states.

Tax season can be stressful from gathering all the required documents to finding a trusted place to file. Here are some options for filing for free.

The IRS Direct File program, which lets you prepare and file your federal return for free, is still up and running, for now.

In early February 2025, claims emerged that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, had terminated, or planned to terminate, a program — Direct File — run by the IRS that allows (some) citizens to file individual tax returns for free:

IRS Free File program at IRS.gov offers free tax software to those with adjusted gross incomes of $84,000 or less. Other free programs exist, too.

Elon Musk, head of the chaos-causing Department of Government Efficiency, made an assertion this week that raised questions in some people’s minds about the status of the IRS Direct File program. That program enables tax filers in 25 states,

Though the billionaire presidential adviser created confusion when he said he’d “deleted” the agency behind it, the free filing program is still available—at least for the coming tax season.

This should be a banner year for taxpayers seeking free tax-preparation. But one key IRS program is under fire.

In a post on X, unelected government official Elon Musk revealed that he has cut the staff of the Internal Revenue Service that oversaw the system that allows Americans to file their taxes for free easily on its website.

Discover how the expanded IRS Direct File program can simplify your tax filing process this 2025 season, offering a free, secure, and efficient way to submit your federal tax returns.