IRS Direct File Program Now Open To More Taxpayers

The new program is accepting online returns from taxpayers in 12 states.

IRS Direct File pilot program lets eligible taxpayers file directly to the IRS online. Credit: d3sign / Getty Images

The IRS Direct File pilot program is now open to receive tax filings from eligible taxpayers.

The program allows some taxpayers to file online for free directly to the IRS, using the agency’s own in-house software and customer service support.

Only taxpayers who live in Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible to participate.

The program started as invite-only and had set windows for submitting a return. Now, Direct File is available 24 hours a day. Upon expanding the program, the IRS noted that it may briefly close if the daily allotment for returns is exceeded. Should that happen, taxpayers should check back the following day as more spaces will be added.

If you’ve started a return through Direct File, you can continue working on it, even if the IRS temporarily closes the Direct File website.

To learn more the Direct File program, read our previous coverage on how to file taxes online for 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. Prior to Mashable, Rebecca was a staff writer, reporter, and editor at NBC News Digital, special reports project director at The American Prospect, and staff writer at Forbes. Rebecca has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master’s in Journalism from U.C. Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, watching movie trailers, traveling to places where she can’t get cell service, and hiking with her border collie.

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