When the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) earlier this year, leaders of the group reassured workers that the agency’s free tax filing tool, Direct File, would be spared from cuts. But only a few days after meeting with tax software lobbyists, the beloved tool was placed on the chopping block, multiple sources familiar tell WIRED.
The plans to potentially kill Direct File, the free tax filing tool developed by the IRS that services 25 states, was initiated by Sam Corcos, CEO of an Andreessen Horowitz–backed health startup that has ties to SpaceX. Corcos’ suggestion to cut the popular service was presented to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in the beginning of March, multiple sources familiar say.
The weekend before Corcos suggested ending Direct File, he spoke of it positively to IRS engineers. By Friday, he had changed his tune. As sources WIRED spoke to understand it, Direct File would remain online through the 2025 tax filing season but would likely be dead by next year.
Please select this link to read the complete article from WIRED.