If allowed to reach its full stride, Direct File was estimated to save about $11 billion per year for taxpayers (an average of $160 per user) and help unlock about $12 billion in government benefits (Zucker and Ramamurti 2024). Despite these successes, the future of Direct File under the Trump administration was uncertain. By the spring of 2025 it was clear the product would be eliminated, with an official announcement ending the project in November.

To preserve the lessons from this ambitious project, BGL interviewed 16 individuals who worked on Direct File. The interviewees ranged from public figures, such as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel who agreed to be identified by name, to engineers and designers who worked directly on the product. Interviewees were asked about their involvement and history with Direct File, the main success factors and barriers they faced, the legacy and lessons of Direct File, and the contrast with the goals of the new administration. 

To learn more about the history of digital tax preparation tools, view our Free File case study, which outlines the public-private partnership that pre-dated Direct File.

Academic papers and transcripts of select interviews will be coming soon. To stay informed, sign-up for the BGL monthly newsletter at the bottom of this page.