Direct File died. Meet the creators planning for its second life
5 days ago
- #tax-reform
- #public-policy
- #government-tech
- Direct File, the IRS's free electronic filing tool, was eliminated by the Trump administration despite its success and user praise.
- Key creators of Direct File, including Merici Vinton and Gabriel Zucker, have joined the Economic Security Project as Future of Tax Filing fellows to revive the initiative.
- Direct File received high user satisfaction ratings, with 94% of taxpayers rating their experience as 'excellent' or 'above average' in 2025.
- The team faced challenges such as political opposition, industry lobbying, and administrative sabotage, including misinformation spread via social media.
- The fellows are documenting lessons learned and creating a blueprint for a potential revival of Direct File under a future administration.
- Direct File's code was released as open source, aligning with its taxpayer-funded origins and allowing for public inspection and potential reuse.
- The initiative aims to simplify tax filing, improve access to credits, and set a precedent for government tech innovation.