IRS expands free Direct File program to 12 new states
The Internal Revenue Service's free tax filing program, Direct File, will be open to residents of 12 new states for the 2025 tax return season.
Those states are Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to an IRS announcement. They join 12 states — Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State and Wyoming — that participated in the program this year, expanding Direct File access to more than 30 million taxpayers nationwide. The remaining 26 states not part of Direct File have not yet opted into the program.
Direct File allows eligible taxpayers the opportunity to file their taxes directly with the IRS, using software built by the agency. Direct File works on mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers.
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The IRS is also enhancing Direct File for the 2025 tax season by adding a chatbot to guide taxpayers through the agency's eligibility checker and covering new tax situations.
This year, taxpayers could use Direct File if they had simple returns, which excluded those with gig economy or business income, itemized deductions, and credits like the child and dependent care credit or saver's credit.
In 2025, taxpayers claiming the child and dependent care credit, premium tax credit, credit for the elderly and disabled, and retirement savings contribution credits will be eligible. Additionally, Direct File will expand to support taxpayers with retirement income, 1099s for interest greater than $1,500, the 1099 for the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend, and deductions for health savings accounts will be eligible.
"Above all, our goal is to improve the experience of tax filing itself and help taxpayers meet their obligations quickly and easily," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement.
Taxpayers who used Direct File this year largely reported positive experiences, according to an IRS survey of more than 15,000 participants. Nearly half said they'd paid for tax preparation the previous year. Ninety percent of respondents said their experience was excellent or above average. They particularly liked that the software was easy to use, trustworthy, and free.
Rebecca Ruiz is a Senior Reporter at Mashable. She frequently covers mental health, digital culture, and technology. Her areas of expertise include suicide prevention, screen use and mental health, parenting, youth well-being, and meditation and mindfulness. Rebecca's experience prior to Mashable includes working as a staff writer, reporter, and editor at NBC News Digital and as a staff writer at Forbes. Rebecca has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a masters degree from U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
