Washington (AP) – Post Billionist Technology Elon Musk on Monday on his social media site he had “deleted” 18F, the government agency who worked on technology projects such as the IRS direct file program. This led to some confusion about whether a direct file is still available to taxpayers, but the free filing program is still available, at least for the upcoming tax season.
While Musk's tweeting may have suggested that the group of employees had been removed, an individual with information about the IRS workforce said the direct file program was still receiving tax returns. The individual spoke anonymously with the Associated Press because he had no authority to speak to the press.
From Monday night, the 18F website was still active, as was the direct website of the file. But the Digital Services Agency's X account was deleted.
The Irs announced Last year it will make the free Electronic Tax Forms Filing System Permanent and asked each of the 50 provinces and the Columbia area to help taxpayers file their forms through the program in 2025.
The file trial began directly in March 2024. But the IRS has faced an intense shot to direct a file from private tax preparation companies that have made billions of people charging to use their software and who have spent millions Congress lobby. The ordinary American usually spends about $ 140 preparing their forms each year.
Commercial tax preparation companies that have lobbied against the development of the free file program say that free file options already exist.
Many organizations, including private tax companies, offer free taxpayer tax preparation support for taxpayers under certain income limits. Racial forms are available on -lein on the IRS website, but they are complex and taxpayers still have to calculate their tax liability.
Last May the IRS announced that it would make the direct file program permanently. It is now available in 25 provinces, up from 12 provinces that were part of last year's pilot program.
The program allows people in some provinces with very simple W-2S to calculate and submit their forms directly to the IRS. Those using the pilot program in 2024 claimed more than $ 90 million in adoptions, the IRS said in October.
During his January 16 confirmation hearing, Betting ScottNow Treasury Secretary, committed to maintaining the direct file program at least for the 2025 tax season, which January 27 started.
Musk was responding to a job from an X user who called 18F “Fell Left” and mixed that direct file “puts the government at the helm” of preparing people's taxes.
“That group has been deleted,” Musk wrote.