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

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 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.

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk posted on his social media site that he has “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the IRS's Direct File program

President Trump’s “special government employee,” Elon Musk, announced on Monday that he has dissolved the Internal Revenue Service’s free file program, effectively firing the staff who worked on the popular program.

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:

The Tesla CEO caused a stir after claiming the program, which allows Americans to file their taxes straight to the IRS, had been "deleted."

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

Amid the Trump administration’s sweeping and at times chaotic campaign to shrink the size of government and trim head count, a segment of the federal workforce that is critical this time of year is being told they have to stay on the job: the IRS staffers who support the tax-filing process.