IRS ends Direct File program and outlines free filing options for 2026

The IRS ended its Direct File program in late 2025 and the Direct File website is not available as of January 2026. Taxpayers can still use IRS Free File (AGI limit $84,000), free fillable forms, volunteer VITA/TCE services, and some commercial services that offer free federal filing.

The IRS has discontinued its Direct File system, which operated during the 2024 and 2025 tax seasons, and the service is not available for the 2026 filing season. The pilot had aimed to let eligible taxpayers file federal returns directly with the IRS without commercial tax software. The program expanded from 12 states in 2024 to 25 states in 2025 but faced political opposition and concerns about cost and participation. The Direct File website is no longer accessible as of January 2026 and the IRS has not set a launch date for any future return of the program. Key points: - The Direct File pilot ran in 2024 and 2025 and was designed for taxpayers with simple returns (W-2, Social Security, retirement, or unemployment income and the standard deduction). - The IRS estimated about 30 million Americans were eligible, but fewer than 300,000 used Direct File. - A Treasury report cited low participation and high costs relative to usage; the acting Treasury Secretary was reported as saying the private sector could do a better job. - The IRS Free File program remains available for taxpayers with adjusted gross income up to $84,000, and IRS free fillable forms are available to all income levels. - Volunteer programs—VITA for low-income, disabled, or limited-English taxpayers, and TCE for people aged 60 and older—offer in-person tax assistance through community sites. - The article mentions commercial services that advertise free federal filing; Cash App Taxes and FreeTaxUSA were noted as offering free federal filing, with Cash App offering one free state return and FreeTaxUSA charging a state filing fee. Summary: The end of Direct File removes one direct federal e-filing route that had been available for two years, which means people who used that service will need to choose another filing method for the 2025 tax year before the April 15, 2026 deadline. IRS Free File, free fillable forms, volunteer VITA/TCE sites, and some commercial services remain available, and officials have said there is no set date to relaunch Direct File. Undetermined at this time.