IRS Direct File, 2024–2025

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Direct File went live on January 29, 2024. It went dark on November 5, 2025.

Two screenshots of IRS Direct File. The screenshot on the left shows Direct File with a message to taxpayers, reproduced below. The screenshot on the right reads, 'Service Outage: This service is unavailable for maintenance. Thank you for your patience.' — Left: Direct File as of November 4, 2025. Right: Direct File today.

The IRS is apparently tearing up its commitment that taxpayers would be able to access their data for three years. Now taxpayers’ only options are to access a transcript online (basically a printout from the IRS mainframe) or to file Form 4506 and pay the IRS $30 to recreate a paper version of their return.

So that sucks. But I do want to memorialize the message that adorned the Direct File homepage for its final two weeks, ever since filing season ended:

Thank you, taxpayers.

Together, we created a free, simple way to file taxes.

Over 500,000 of you used Direct File. Thousands of you gave us feedback. And hundreds of you joined our usability research sessions.

We couldn’t have done it without you.