The $3.8 trillion Republican tax bill that just passed the House includes a provision to kill off the popular IRS Direct File program, which lets people file their federal income tax returns for free ...

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 ...

Over two dozen states incorporated the free tax software in 2025, but the IRS has decided to discontinue the program. Peter is a writer and editor for the CNET How-To team. He has been covering ...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) introduced legislation on Thursday to revive and permanently lock in the IRS's free Direct File program, a government-run online option ...

“Direct File worked really well, and it's a great example of how the IRS can do technology, or how the government can do technology, effectively,” said former IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel. For a ...

Get the latest federal technology news delivered to your inbox. The IRS is recommitting to its decades-old partnership with tax prep companies as the main option for Americans to file their taxes ...

You may have noticed that Direct File, the free IRS tax filing tool, is no longer available. What once promised to simplify and reduce costs for millions of taxpayers has disappeared, and signs point ...

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 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 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 ...