IRS cancels Direct File for 2026 season
The IRS confirmed via email to state comptrollers that its free Direct File e‑filing system will not be available for Filing Season 2026 and set no relaunch date, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying the private sector can do a better job. The program handled 296,531 accepted returns in 2025 (up from 140,803 in 2024) and now lists as closed online, a change that could push Twin Cities taxpayers back to commercial software or paid preparers.
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Business & Economy
📌 Key Facts
- IRS email (from official Cynthia Noe) says Direct File will not be available in Filing Season 2026 and has no future launch date.
- Treasury Secretary/IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent: 'It wasn’t used very much' and 'the private sector can do a better job.'
- Usage: 296,531 accepted returns in 2025 vs. 140,803 in 2024, per a program evaluation obtained via FOIA.
- Direct File launched as a 2024 pilot funded by the Inflation Reduction Act; the Biden administration had said it would be made permanent.