If the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) already knows so much about our taxes, why does the process to file them have to be so ...

The IRS will halt its government-run Direct File program for the 2026 tax season, ending a short-lived effort to allow taxpayers to prepare and submit returns directly through the agency’s website.

The Internal Revenue Service has ended its Direct File program for the 2026 filing season, pulling back a government-run tool that let some taxpayers submit returns online at no cost. The move affects ...

As tax season shifts into high gear, Americans with relatively simple financial pictures will find one less filing option on the menu. For the last two years, the IRS has offered a free in-house ...

The IRS has ended the Direct File program, which let some taxpayers file their annual returns for free using software developed by the government. Many tax preparation companies opposed this, as did ...

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 Direct File program was one of the targets of the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, under the leadership of billionaire Elon Musk, as soon as the group took over ...

The federal government tested a free, direct online tax-filing program for two years but with the change in administrations shut it down. There are still ways, though, to file your return at no charge ...

The Internal Revenue Service has shut down its Direct File free tax-filing program, sending an email to the 25 states that offered it this year. The email was sent to the state departments of revenue ...

The agency still offers a Free File program that works with commercial tax software firms. Some companies also offer free tools for certain filers. By Ann Carrns The federal government tested a free, ...