IRS head says free Direct File tax service is ‘gone’

The Trump administration may have just axed the IRS Direct File program. During a summit earlier this week, IRS Commissioner Billy Long said the free tax filing service is “gone,” adding that “big beautiful Billy wiped that out,” as reported earlier by Bloomberg

Law.

President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill includes a provision to establish a task force dedicated to “the replacement of Direct File.” The IRS first announced Direct File in 2023, which lets taxpayers submit their tax returns directly to the government for free. It began testing the program in select states during last year’s tax season, and planned on expanding it this year.

The future of Direct File has remained uncertain for months, with several reports suggesting the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) federal cuts may eliminate it. Now, it seems that may be the case. “I don’t care about Direct File. I care about direct audit,” Long said, according to Bloomberg Law.

Many lawmakers are frustrated by the program’s potential elimination. “Direct File was an easy way for Americans to file their taxes for FREE each year,” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) wrote in a post on X. “Why in the world did the Trump administration kill it? To give a huge handout to giant tax prep companies like TurboTax that rip Americans off.”

In a statement to CNBC, an IRS spokesperson said, “We look forward to Treasury’s forthcoming report to Congress on the Direct File program and on potential public-private partnership alternatives to Direct File, as required by the One Big Beautiful Bill.” The IRS didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.