DIRECT FILE UPDATE:
Provided by the Direct File Team
Understanding Direct File
Direct File is built in-house at the IRS by a team of tax experts, product managers, software engineers, designers, and data scientists. The IRS is collaborating with the U.S. Digital Service and 18F, government teams that specialize in supporting federal agencies to develop new digital services like Direct File. Our cross-agency team has the right subject matter and technical expertise to create this pioneering free IRS tax-filing tool.
We’re building Direct File with taxpayers – not just for taxpayers. And we’re continuously testing it with taxpayers like you to ensure it’s as easy to understand and use as possible.
There is no software to buy or install. It’s mobile-friendly, which means it will work as well on a phone or tablet as it does on a computer. It’s available in English and Spanish, easy to use, secure, accessible, and free.
Direct File walks you through the processes of preparing your return. You’ll follow a step-by-step checklist that guides you through the filing process and you can easily see your progress. When you finish, Direct File shows you a clear summary of your 2023 federal taxes from the information you entered. When you submit your return, Direct File will send email confirmation of the submission, and another email when the IRS accepts your return for processing.
We’ve placed information icons on each screen to help answer common questions, but if you still need help, live assistance is available directly from an IRS Direct File customer service representative. The IRS processes Direct File returns the same way it does for all electronically filed returns, and we do not, and would not, give preferential treatment to any tax filing method, including Direct File.
Direct File scope and eligibility
The Direct File pilot is limited to taxpayers reporting only certain types of income and claiming limited credits and deductions. You can learn more about Direct File’s scope at directfile.irs.gov.
The Direct File pilot is available to eligible taxpayers residing in Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. States with an income tax that indicated they had the capability and resources available to develop a state tax filing solution, or already have one ready to integrate, are participating in the pilot as well as most states without state income taxes. Many states that are not participating this year have already indicated interest for potential future years.
For this filing season’s pilot, taxpayers will need to authenticate using ID.me to use Direct File.
Getting help from Direct File customer support
We realize that taxpayers may have questions about how to use any tax software, including Direct File. If you need help while you’re filing your return in Direct File, real-time live chat support from an IRS customer service representative will be available, with an option for a follow up phone call from an IRS assistor where needed.
Direct File customer service representatives will provide technical support and provide basic clarification of tax law related to the tax scope of Direct File, in both English and Spanish. The assistors will not have access to your IRS account data. Any questions or issues that are not directly related to Direct File will be routed to the regular IRS support channels.
The Direct File customer support function is separate from other IRS customer support functions, including our toll-free lines. This means that trained, specialized support will be available if you need help using the Direct File tool, while limiting demand on regular IRS customer support during the filing season.
