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IRS Launches Direct File Landing Page

2024-01-31

The Internal Revenue Service has taken the first step to initiating its Direct File pilot, and on January 29, 2024, launched the Direct File landing page (https://directfile.irs.gov), providing taxpayers a resource to learn more about the program, assess their eligibility to participate in the Direct File pilot, and to receive notification when the pilot goes live.

The site indicates that if you lived in a state that is not listed, Direct File won’t support your tax filing needs (currently Forida,m Nevada, New Hampshirem, South Dakora, tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Nwe York and Wachington – 2024-01-31).

Direct File requires you to have certain types of identification to prevent fraud. You’ll need:

  • A Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for yourself and any spouse or dependents you claim
  • If applicable, an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN) for dependents you claim
  • A current driver’s license, state identification, passport, or passport card
  • If the IRS sent you (or your spouse or dependents) an Identity Protection (IP) PIN, you’ll also need that.

To use Direct File, you need an IRS account with ID.me.

Direct File only works if you have certain types of income.

You can use Direct File if you have one or more of these types of income for tax year 2023:

  • Income from an employer (Form W-2)
  • Unemployment compensation (Form 1099-G)
  • Social Security benefits (Form SSA-1099)
  • $1500 or less in interest income or US savings bonds or Treasury obligations (Form 1099-INT, boxes 1 and 3)

You can’t use Direct File if you have other types of income for tax year 2023 that are not listed above, for example, you won’t be able to report any other types of income, such as:

  • Income received from payment apps, online marketplaces, or payment cards (Form 1099-K)
  • Income from independent contractor and gig work (Form 1099-NEC)
  • Income from rent, prizes, awards, and more (Form 1099-MISC)
  • Income from pension and retirement account distributions (Form 1099-R)
  • Allocated tips
  • Unreported tips
  • Alimony that is required to be included in your income

You can’t use Direct File if:

  • your wages are more than $200,000 ($160,200 if you had more than one employer).
  • if you’re using the filing status Married Filing Separately and your wages are more than $125,000.
  • if you file a joint federal tax return and your spouse’s wages are more than $200,000 ($160,200 if your spouse had more than one employer), or You and your spouse’s total wages are more than $250,000

When using Direct File, you can only take the standard deduction.

Direct File only works for people with certain kinds of health insurance, and for people without health insurance.

You can use Direct File if you have:

You can’t use Direct File if you have:

  • Health insurance you bought directly through a marketplace (like HealthCare.gov)
  • Money you withdrew from a health savings account (HSA)

Direct File only supports common credits that reduce your taxes.

Credits can reduce the amount of tax you owe or increase your tax refund. Certain credits may even give you a refund if you don’t owe any taxes.

You can use Direct File if you only want to claim these tax credits:

You can’t use Direct File to:

  • Claim any credits other than the ones listed above
  • Claim these credits or other tax benefits for a child as their non-custodial parent