There was widespread confusion after the Tesla CEO claimed the program, which allows Americans to file their taxes straight to the IRS, had been "deleted."

In early February 2025, claims emerged that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, had terminated, or planned to terminate, a program — Direct File — run by the IRS that allows (some) citizens to file individual tax returns for free:

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,

An "enhanced" version of the IRS' Direct File program launched this year, with availability in roughly twice as many states as last year.

Elon Musk posted that the IRS Direct File group had been "deleted," prompting confusion about the free tax prep service's future.

The IRS Direct File program is revolutionizing tax filing for millions of Americans by offering a no-cost, streamlined process for uncomplicated returns. Despite its benefits, the program faces opposition from private tax-preparation companies and political figures.

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.

Though the billionaire presidential adviser created confusion when he said he’d “deleted” the agency behind it, the free filing program is still available—at least for the coming tax season.

Direct File, a system that allows people in some states to file directly with the IRS for free, is in fact still available, despite Musk posting cryptic messages on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.