Washington (AP) – The TECH billionaire newspaper, Elon Musk, posted on his social media site on Monday that he had “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technological projects such as the direct file program IRS. This has led to a certain confusion as to whether the direct file is still available for taxpayers, but the free deposit program is still available, at least for the upcoming tax season.
While Musk’s tweet may have suggested that the group of workers had been eliminated, a person knowing the IRS workforce said that the Direct file program still accepted income statements. The individual spoke anonymously about the Associated Press because he was not allowed to speak to the press.
Monday evening, the 18F website was still operational, as is the Direct File website. But the X account of the digital services agency has been deleted.
THE Irs announced Last year, it will make the free Electronic income tax deposit system Permanent and asked the 50 states and the Columbia district to help taxpayers produce their declarations via the program in 2025.
The direct file trial began in March 2024. But the IRS faced an intense flame return for directly the files of private tax preparation companies that made billions of people by invoicing people to use their software and spent millions lobby. The average American generally spends about $ 140 to prepare their yields each year.
Commercial tax preparation companies that have put pressure on the development of the free file program indicate that free file options already exist.
Several organizations, including private tax companies, offer free online online tax aid for taxpayers as part of certain income limits. The forms to be completed are available online on the IRS website, but they are complicated and taxpayers must still calculate their tax.
Last May, IRS announced that it would make the Direct Permanent file program. It is now available in 25 states, against 12 states which were part of the pilot program last year.
The program allows people of certain states with very simple W-2s to calculate and submit their yields directly to the IRS. Those who use the pilot program in 2024 have claimed more than $ 90 million in reimbursements, the IRS said in October.
During her confirmation hearing on January 16, Scott BessentNow secretary of the Treasury, has undertaken to maintain the program of direct files at least for the 2025 tax season, which started on January 27.
Musk responded to a position with an X user who called 18F “on the far left” and thought about this direct “puts the government” of people’s tax preparation.
“This group has been deleted,” Musk wrote.