IRS Free File availability and eligibility
IRS Free File is currently closed. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says to check back in January 2027. When the program is open, start from the IRS Free File page to choose guided tax software or Free File Fillable Forms, rather than entering through a provider’s ordinary commercial homepage.
Is IRS Free File open now?
No. The current program page says it has closed and asks taxpayers to return in January 2027. A page describing a filing option does not establish that the filing application is accepting returns today.
Check the live IRS page when the next season opens. Eligibility figures displayed during the closure should not be treated as an announcement of the next season’s rules.
What is the difference between guided software and Fillable Forms?
Guided software asks questions and helps prepare the return. The IRS partner you select provides the account and filing product. Free File Fillable Forms instead gives you federal tax forms to complete, with limited calculations and less preparation assistance.
Choose based on the help you need as well as eligibility. A taxpayer who needs the software to identify forms or explain calculations should compare the guided offers rather than assuming Fillable Forms provides the same assistance.
Who qualifies for IRS Free File?
The current IRS page lists guided tax software for adjusted gross income of $95,000 or less. Individual providers also set eligibility conditions. The overall program ceiling is not a promise that every partner offers you a free return.
Fillable Forms has no income limit. For a senior taxpayer, compare the actual provider’s income and other conditions; age alone does not identify which offer fits. Recheck the terms for the filing season you will use.
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Eligible federal return preparation and electronic filing under the program cost nothing. That does not mean every service offered by the selected company is included. Read the offer before creating an account or adding a product.
Start from IRS.gov/freefile and follow the IRS offer link. Going directly to a commercial provider’s usual homepage can put you in a different product. Keep the program’s federal filing offer distinct from any other service or separately priced return.
What do I need before filing?
Gather the income records, expenses, and documents supporting deductions or credits for the tax year. Electronic filing also requires the applicable signature and identity-validation information, such as prior-year adjusted gross income.
If you need a record of that prior-year amount, use IRS tax transcript services. After filing, save the acceptance or rejection message. A completed draft is different from IRS acceptance, and a rejected electronic return may need correction and resubmission.
Where do I check the refund after using Free File?
Use the IRS refund tracker for the return you filed. The filing product prepares and transmits a return; the IRS separately processes it and determines any refund.
An extension of time to file is also different from an extension of time to pay. Follow the IRS instructions for the filing task you actually need, especially if the regular online Free File season has ended.
FAQ
Can I use IRS Free File for a past-due return?
The IRS says Free File is for the current-year return, not prior-year returns. Use the IRS past-due filing instructions for older years.
Can Fillable Forms amend a return?
The IRS says Free File Fillable Forms does not prepare an amended return. Guided software may support an amendment to a return prepared with that software.