WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: People use IRS Direct File at the Internal Revenue Service Building on April 05, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Economic Security Project ...

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 ...

The IRS is suspending the Direct File program, a free guided tax software for taxpayers in 25 states, for the upcoming filing season. Other free federal tax preparation programs will still be ...

The IRS Direct File program, a free tax filing option, has been discontinued for the 2026 tax season. The program was ended by the Trump Administration after a two-year pilot due to low participation ...

The Trump administration has shut down the IRS "Direct File" program, which was a free tax filing option. Critics of Direct File cited high development costs and low user participation for its closure ...

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 ...

When it comes to their federal income tax returns, tens of millions of US households pay for tax preparation and filing. Yet many might qualify to do so for free through IRS-approved programs. So why ...

A venerable IRS program called Free File allows 70% of taxpayers to file their taxes for free, just as the name implies. Only 2% of taxpayers used the service in 2024. That is the finding of a ...

Only 2% of federal income tax returns were filed through Free File, despite 70% of filers qualifying. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who ...

(NEXSTAR) – In 2025, nearly 300,000 Americans used a new electronic system to file their taxes directly with the IRS for free. In 2026, that’s no longer an option. IRS Direct File launched as a pilot ...

The Trump administration may have shuttered Direct File – the IRS’s short-lived experiment in tax-preparation software – but it doesn’t mean you have to pay to file your taxes. There are plenty of ...