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:

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.

Eligible Americans can now file their taxes using IRS Direct File, which allows taxpayers in 25 states, including New York, to file their federal taxes directly with the IRS for free.

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,

Billionaire Elon Musk posted on his social media site that he had “deleted” 18F, an agency that worked on the IRS’ 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.

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

Elon Musk wrote on X on Monday that 18F, the digital consulting team who developed the IRS Direct File system, had been deleted.