Nearly 141,000 People Filed Taxes Online Directly With IRS This Year [Video]

The 2024 tax season marked a historic first when 140,803 Americans in 12 states did something that people in other countries have taken for granted for decades: they logged on to a government website and filed their federal tax returns.

The IRS tested out its Direct File system this year, which for the first time allows people to file their taxes online without going through a private third-party service like TurboTax or H&R Block. The system—which only covered basic tax filing scenarios, accepting only certain kinds of income and tax deductions—earned positive reviews from early users, but sparked a backlash from tax prep companies whose business it threatens.