Last year the Internal Revenue Service launched a program that allowed some tax filers to file their returns directly to the IRS. It was available when the 2025 filing started this year, but a social media post from Elon Musk caused some confusion over whether it was still available.

The Internal Revenue Service launched a pilot program last year that allows people to file their taxes directly with the federal government for free. This project is known as Direct File and has since expanded to 25 states.

The IRS’ free tax-preparation program remains a free option for taxpayers this year, but the fate of a group of government technologists that helped develop it is less certain.

The Internal Revenue Service is accepting tax returns for tax season 2025, including through the expanded Direct File program. Why it matters: There's been some confusion on the status of the free online tax-filing program after Elon Musk posted on X Monday that he had "deleted" 18F,

In a post on X, unelected government official Elon Musk revealed that he has cut the staff of the Internal Revenue Service that oversaw the system that allows Americans to file their taxes for free easily on its website.

Though some social media users interpreted Elon Musk's X post as meaning the service was closed, its website remained active as of Feb. 7.

Elon Musk stirred up confusion over the status of the IRS’s Direct File program when he reposted a description of it and said he “deleted” it. “That group has been deleted,” Musk posted on X. However,

Direct File and its documentation all remain live and online at the time of this reporting, so it is erroneous to say that DOGE has blocked the ability for people to use the progr