Americans Can Still File Their Taxes for Free in 2026

Over 250,000 Americans filed their taxes for free with the Internal Revenue Service last year, using the IRS Direct File option. IRS Direct File was introduced in 2024, and the previous presidential administration announced that it would be permanent in 2025, covering an additional 25 states from its initial launch.

The Direct File option was shuttered in November, with new treasury secretary Scott Bessent citing “low participation and relatively high costs and burdens on the federal government” for the change.