Elon Musk says he 'deleted' IRS Direct File. Can Wisconsin taxpayers still use the free service?
With tax filing season underway, Elon Musk said earlier this week he deleted a program aimed at making filing returns easier for millions of Americans across multiple states, including Wisconsin.
Elon Musk wrote on X on Monday that 18F, the digital consulting team who developed the IRS Direct File system, had been deleted. However, the program remained functional Thursday and is still accepting tax returns, although an X account associated with it is no longer active.
Democrats and Republicans in Congress are battling over future of Direct File; nearly 30 Republican legislators asked President Trump to stop Direct File on day one of his presidency, according to a report from Nextgov.
Trump tapped Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency and made him a "special government employee." The billionaire also runs Tesla, which paid zero in federal income taxes in 2021, according to a report from CNN.
Here's an explanation of IRS Direct File, plus how to file your return in Wisconsin:
Direct File is a new IRS program that allows millions of Americans with uncomplicated taxes to file returns at no cost.
Piloted in a dozen states last year, Direct File expanded to 25 states in 2025. The full list includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The IRS says 30 million taxpayers qualify to use the free service this year — pretty much anyone with a relatively straightforward return. The Direct File site will help you decide if you are eligible.
'Above all, our goal is to improve the experience of tax filing itself and help taxpayers meet their obligations quickly and easily,' said Danny Werfel, the now-former IRS commissioner, in a statement.
WisTax is the state's free software for filing state income taxes. WisTax uses your My Tax Account profile, and you can log in or create one at tap.revenue.wi.gov/btr/_/#2.
If you use the IRS' Direct File program, information from your federal forms will transfer into WisTax. You also won't need to attach forms like W-2s, 1099s or your federal return to your state taxes.
The Department of Revenue recommends waiting until your federal return is accepted before beginning your Wisconsin return.
If your federal return gets rejected, you may need to update your state return, which can't be done through WisTax. You'd need to use third-party software, a paper form or find a tax professional.
Taxpayers who don't qualify for Direct File might still be eligible to use WisTax. More information about eligibility is available at revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/ise-WisTax.aspx.
The deadline for both federal and state taxes is Tuesday, April 15, 2025. More information about deadlines, penalties and extensions is available on the Department of Revenue's website.
RELATED: How to track your federal and Wisconsin tax refunds, tax refund status
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin taxes 2025: Elon Musk says he 'deleted' IRS Direct File
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