Americans across multiple states who were planning to file their taxes through a free IRS online program still have the opportunity to do so, despite Elon Musk’s comments about taking away the opportunity. The Direct File program is still available for taxpayers with simple returns even as the program and the IRS as a whole face hostility from Musk and the Trump administration.

IRS Direct File program still offering free tax filing

Direct File, the online tax preparation platform provided by the IRS for simple tax returns, is still operational. That’s the message coming from sources familiar with the program and from the IRS itself. The official IRSnews account on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, posted on Tuesday morning that “The #IRS offers free online and in-person tax preparation options for eligible taxpayers through Free File, Direct File and volunteer tax assistance programs.”

Musk’s “deleted” tweet caused confusion

The latest posting by the IRS may be an attempt to clear up confusion after Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X who also works as a top adviser to President Donald Trump, tweeted that he had “deleted” 18F, a government agency that describes itself as “a team of designers, software engineers, strategists, and product managers within the General Services Administration” who “help other government agencies build, buy, and share technology products.” Musk’s announcement about 18F, which created the Direct File program, gave many the impression that he had deleted Direct File, a program that 18F and various other government agencies worked to create. Both Direct File and 18F are still operational, although the X account for 18F has been deleted.

Direct File survives despite anti-government hostility from Trump, Musk

Direct File was launched as a pilot program in 2024 and made available to taxpayers in 12 states to file relatively simple tax returns for free online. The program was later announced to be permanent and expanded to 25 states, and the IRS encouraged all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to work to make the Direct File option available to their residents. Since Trump took office last month, he and Musk have attempted to curtail or eliminate a wide variety of government agencies, programs and services. They have targeted the IRS, with Trump, Musk and allies threatening to shut it down altogether. Given this hostility from the new administration, it was easy to believe that Musk and Trump had gotten rid of Direct File as part of their agenda to significantly roll back the size and scope of the federal government, even if it creates major disruptions.

Despite this anti-government hostility coming from the head of the federal government and one of his top advisers, Direct File is still up and running. The long-term survival of the program is an open question given the administration’s many attempts to get rid of government agencies like the IRS. For now, however, people relying on the free IRS service to file their taxes should be able to do so.

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