Though some social media users interpreted Elon Musk's X post as meaning the service was closed, its website remained active as of Feb. 7.

The Internal Revenue Service is accepting tax returns for tax season 2025, including through the expanded Direct File program. Why it matters: There's been some confusion on the status of the free online tax-filing program after Elon Musk posted on X Monday that he had "deleted" 18F,

Elon Musk posted Monday on his social media site that he had “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the IRS’ Direct File program.

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:

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

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk posted on X that he had eliminated 18F, a government group that developed the ‘Direct File’ IRS program so Americans could file their taxes for free

Direct File, a system that allows people in some states to file directly with the IRS for free, is in fact still available, despite Musk posting cryptic messages on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The IRS Direct File program is revolutionizing tax filing for millions of Americans by offering a no-cost, streamlined process for uncomplicated returns. Despite its benefits, the program faces opposition from private tax-preparation companies and political figures.