Filing taxes is expensive and time consuming for American taxpayers. On average, taxpayers spend approximately 13 hours and $270 preparing their taxes each year. Direct File enables eligible taxpayers to file their taxes electronically, directly, and for free with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Direct File makes filing taxes easy with a step-by-step checklist, guiding taxpayers through the filing process.
File for Free with IRS Direct File
As detailed in the IRS Direct File Pilot: Filing Season 2024 After Action Report, more than 15,000 Direct File users participated in the General Services Administration’s Touchpoints survey, which collects comprehensive user feedback about government systems. According to the survey on the IRS Direct File Pilot:
- 90 percent of respondents ranked their overall experience as Excellent or Above Average.
- 90 percent of survey respondents who used customer support rated that experience as Excellent or Above Average.
- When asked what they particularly liked, respondents most commonly cited Direct File’s ease of use, trustworthiness, and that it was free.
- 86 percent of respondents said that their experience with Direct File increased their trust in the IRS.
Providing taxpayers an option to file their taxes online directly with the IRS advances the goal of making the IRS a world class customer service agency and gives taxpayers the ability to interact with the IRS in the ways that work best for them.
What is Direct File?
- Direct File is a historic new IRS service that allows eligible taxpayers to prepare and file their tax return online, for free, including access to help from dedicated IRS Direct File customer support representatives.
- Direct File is accessible in English and Spanish, and eligible taxpayers can access it and file at directfile.irs.gov using their smartphone, laptop, tablet, or desktop computer.
- Many taxpayers using Direct File are also able to complete their state taxes quickly and easily. After completing their federal returns in Direct File, taxpayers are connected to their state’s tax filing tool.
- Direct File is not mandatory for any taxpayer. Eligible taxpayers may choose to participate in the service to file their tax return for free, directly with the IRS. Participants have the option to change to other filing methods at any time.
How to File Your Taxes for Free Using IRS Direct File
Direct File is currently closed. It will reopen in filing season 2025. When it does:
- Head to directfile.irs.gov to check your eligibility and see if Direct File is a good fit for you. (If you’re not eligible, we’ll connect you to alternative filing options.)
- Create an IRS account using your email and a secure password. Verify your identity by uploading a photo or video. (Live customer support is always available if you need it.)
- Complete your return – Direct File will guide you through a series of question to help you file quickly and easily. (You can get support from dedicated IRS customer support specialists through a live chat feature if you need help.)
- Review your return, input your payment or refund information, and submit your return! Direct File will notify you in the product and via email once your return has been accepted.
- If you need to file a state return, Direct File will connect you with your state’s online filing tool to help you get started. In many cases, Direct File users can even import their federal return data directly to their state tool.
Outreach Corner
How You Can Help Get the Word Out! We want to make sure people in all communities in the participating states are aware of this service that can benefit them.
- Hold events in your community – you can do these events on your own or you can collaborate with other organizations working to support Direct File. Please reach out to Rebecca Thompson with the US Treasury Department’s stakeholder engagement team if you would like to work on an in-person or virtual event on Direct File!
- Send an email to your communities in participating states – we know that people are more likely to take action when hearing directly from trusted organizations, partners, and messengers. Help by connecting with other organizations doing Direct File outreach.
- Run a text campaign – reaching out to your community with short reminders is a fantastic way to raise awareness and encourage people to file with Direct File.
- Post on social media – let your community know through social media (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.) that Direct File is open and available for them to use.
- Go on TV and radio or write an op-ed to promote this service – getting the word out to people in your community about this opportunity is so important, especially for them to see on their local TV stations and through local radio, or to read about it in a newspaper.
- Put a Direct File button or link on your website and include it in your newsletters – this way people can directly click to access the service.
