In early February 2025, claims emerged that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, had terminated, or planned to terminate, a program — Direct File — run by the IRS that allows (some) citizens to file individual tax returns for free:

Elon Musk, head of the chaos-causing Department of Government Efficiency, made an assertion this week that raised questions in some people’s minds about the status of the IRS Direct File program. That program enables tax filers in 25 states,

Tech titan Elon Musk announced Monday that the General Services Administration’s tech arm has been “deleted,” appearing to confirm prior reports of its demise as he continues his crusade against government bloat.

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk posted on his social media site that he has “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the IRS's Direct File program.

Musk said that 18F agency that supports free Direct File tax filing for Americans has been deleted – but it's still accepting returns.

Elon Musk created confusion on Monday with an X post that led some people to believe he had eliminated an agency that supported a free program used by Americans

Is Direct File the latest government program to be targeted by President Donald Trump’s administration? Tech billionaire Elon Musk said Monday that the 18F group that helped build the Direct File initiative,

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk posted on his social media site that he has “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the IRS’s Direct File program

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk posted on his social media site that he has “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the IRS's Direct File program. This led to some confusion about whether Direct File is still available to taxpayers this season.