Elon Musk's Misleading Post on Direct File

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk posted on his social media site, X (social network), that he had 'deleted' United States — 18F, a United States government agency involved in technology projects including the United States — Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) IRS Direct File program. This led to confusion about the availability of IRS Direct File, a free electronic tax return filing system. Despite Musk's claim, United States — 18F's website and the IRS Direct File program remain operational. The United States — Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had previously announced its intention to make the IRS Direct File program permanent and expand its availability to 25 states for the 2025 tax season. The program has faced significant opposition and lobbying efforts from private tax preparation companies. Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, also committed to maintaining the IRS Direct File program for the upcoming tax season.