Posted 2/2/24

The Internal Revenue Service is launching its new free tax filing system in 2024, and the pilot program will be available to taxpayers in multiple states now for the start of tax season.

Known as Direct File, the IRS says the online tool will come with step-by-step guidance and real-time support, but not everyone will be eligible at first.

As part of a staggered rollout, Direct File will initially be available to government employees in the following states: Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State and Wyoming. For the first wave of the pilot program, eligibility will also depend on how straightforward the federal tax return is.

Depending on the success of Direct File, the IRS plans on opening up access to private sector employees in the 12 participating states by March.

The free filing service was built in-house at the IRS by a team that includes tax experts, product managers, software engineers, designers and data scientists.

The IRS says Direct File is meant to be an additional option to help simplify the tax filing process, but there isn’t an obligation to use it and it doesn’t replace any existing options.