STATUS OF DIRECT FILE WITH THE IRS:
As a result of Congressional mandate, under the Taxpayer First Act, the Service is directed to provide a free, online option to file individual income taxes.
The IRS Direct File pilot offers a new choice to file 2023 federal tax return online. If the taxpayer is eligible, they can file for free, directly with IRS. The IRS is rolling the pilot out in phases, and it is not available to the public yet.
The Direct File pilot is easy to use and helps:
- File a 2023 federal tax return – for free – in English or Spanish
- Add your tax information with step-by-step guidance
- Connect with real-time online support from IRS customer service representatives
- Access it from smartphones, laptops, tablets and desktop computers
Following is a message recently provided by the Direct File team:
Hello, from the Direct File team!
With the 2024 tax filing season in full swing, we wanted to provide an update on the pilot and let you know how to check for eligibility and learn more about this new filing option.
The first Direct File pilot participants have successfully filed their returns for free
As the first step in Direct File’s extensive testing phase, a small group of government employees who live in the 12 participating states volunteered to file for free using Direct File. Their returns were successfully filed and accepted by the IRS for processing. Completing this first phase was essential to testing and fine tuning this new service. You can read more on the Direct File Pilot News page.
Moving into the next phase of testing
After a successful internal testing phase, the pilot is moving into the next phase of testing. In the coming days, Direct File will be open to taxpayers in pilot states for short, unannounced availability windows. The purpose of this phase is to test Direct File with the public and ensure it works well when experiencing a heavier volume than in the internal testing phase.
When an availability window opens, new users will be able to start filing their returns. After the availability window closes to new users, taxpayers who have started a return can sign in to continue using Direct File even during brief pauses.
The best way to find out when it’s open to new participants is to periodically check the banner at the top of directfile.irs.gov. If it’s temporarily closed, anyone attempting to sign in will be unable to start filing their return. Don’t worry – this means the pilot is operating as intended for a wider scale.
Interested taxpayers can check their eligibility and learn more about the sign-up process for an IRS ID.me account to be ready for the next availability window to start filing returns with Direct File for free. We cannot give a specific date or time for these availability windows as they may change as this phase of testing progresses.
Learn more about eligibility
As a reminder, the Direct File pilot is available to taxpayers who live in the 12 participating states, report only certain types of income and claim limited credits and deductions. You can learn more about Direct File’s scope at directfile.irs.gov. We recommend that you check out the eligibility information before creating an account, as we want you to make sure that Direct File is a good fit for your tax situation.
When can I use Direct File?
We are starting small to get Direct File right. Following software launch best practices, we’re starting the pilot with a limited number of people to fully test the new service and continuously improve the taxpayer experience. In the coming weeks, we anticipate opening the pilot to wider public availability.
