Millions of Californians can file taxes for free. Are you eligible?

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service just launched a new online system meant to help taxpayers file their taxes for free.

The Direct File pilot program, which launched Tuesday, is available in 12 states including California. The Spanish version was made available at 1 p.m.

According to the IRS, thousands of taxpayers across all 12 states have already filed their returns during the testing phase using the new program.

The IRS is launching a direct file pilot program for the 2024 tax season — here is how it will work

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, it shows taxpayers calculations as they file so they can ensure their returns and refunds are accurate.

It is a separate program from other free online-tax filing programs like TurboTax, H&R Block and the IRS’ existing free service, Free File.

Direct File was made possible by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The department also announced new state-by-state eligibility estimates, adding that 19 million taxpayers may be eligible to use Direct File this season.

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Examples of taxpayers who may be eligible to use Direct File this filing season include:

·         A parent with W-2 income that claims the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

·         A recent graduate with W-2 income, who pays student loan interest.

·         A retired senior citizen with Social Security income.

According to the IRS, the new pilot program only supports a limited set of tax situations. To see if you’re eligible, visit the Direct File page on IRS.gov.

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