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On May 28, 2025, we filed an appeal with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. Read our statement. 🥄

Direct File was a service for eligible American taxpayers to file taxes directly with the IRS for free. From the pilot through the second year, 18F supported the IRS in creating and launching its Direct File project alongside the U.S. Digital Service, vendor teams, and participating states.

In its pilot year, more than 140,000 taxpayers in 12 states used Direct File to file their taxes — saving the taxpayers an estimated $5.6 million in preparation fees during the 2024 filing season. In its first year alone, Direct File issued more than $90 million in refunds and collected $35 million in tax balances due.

Building on the successful pilot, in its second year Direct File expanded to 25 states and added more tax scenarios and forms. In 2025, approximately 300,000 taxpayers filed using Direct File and claimed nearly $216 million in credits.

Direct File was called the best tech product of 2024. It was loved, loved, loved by taxpayers. The administration canceled it in the fall of 2025. This destruction of a successful program comes after the administration and GSA recklessly eliminated 18F team members supporting Direct File in the middle of the 2025 tax filing season.