WisTax, Wisconsin’s free, electronic, secure income tax filing system will be available for the 2026 filing season

Madison, WI – The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) announces that its free, secure, electronic filing option, WisTax, will be available for filing 2025 income taxes, starting in February 2026 with expanded features for those who claim the Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Credit or need to amend their return. This announcement comes in the wake of the IRS announcing it will discontinue its free, secure income tax filing system, Direct File.

The IRS notified states that offered the free government tax filing service known as Direct File in 2025, including Wisconsin, that the program has been discontinued and won’t be available for the next filing season. The program allowed eligible taxpayers in certain states to file their federal taxes for free directly with the IRS. The shutdown is effective as of November 2025 and no future launch date has been set.

“It is unfortunate that the IRS will not offer its Direct File program to allow residents to file income taxes for free,” Secretary of Revenue David Casey said. “We had so much positive feedback from taxpayers who were able to file both their federal and state income taxes using easy-to-use software that was free and secure. Notwithstanding the federal government’s announcement, DOR is proud to continue our free file product and will encourage taxpayers to utilize it.”

Taxpayers can learn more about WisTax by visiting DOR’s website or by contacting DOR Customer Service for assistance.

Free federal and state tax preparation assistance is also available to eligible taxpayers through the VITA program, offered by community organizations and IRS-certified volunteers. To locate a site near you, use the VITA/TCE Locator Tool or the AARP Site Locator Tool.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.