The IRS is piloting new software that could let you file your taxes for free

The exterior of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building is seen in Washington, on March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

The Internal Revenue Service is piloting a new program this year that aims to help Americans file their taxes directly to the government for free.

Known as Direct File, the service will be open to certain filers in select states at the start so the IRS can test the program with a smaller group of users and make tweaks before opening it up to a larger group of taxpayers in the future.

This year’s tax season begins today, when the IRS begins accepting and processing tax returns.