(WENY) -- It is still tax season and people have a month to file returns until the deadline on April 15th. Now, the Internal Revenue Service has a free, simple tool called Direct File to help people file their taxes. 

The tool is only available in 12 states, currently, and New York is one of the lucky states to try out this new pilot program.  

Taxpayers with simple W-2s and claim a standard deduction can use it during the 2024 tax season to file their federal income taxes. 

The unique component about Direct File is that people can access it directly through the IRS’s website, which alleviates the need for third party software like Turbo Tax. 

An IRS spokesperson Raphael Tulino said Direct File is a pilot program and is still in the beginning stages.  

“We’re starting small to get it right,” he said. “The 12 states that are a part of it and the eligible taxpayers in those states allows us to get the scope in there that we want to start the process, to get things correct, and move forward, build small, and go big from there.”  

So far, Tulino said the feedback has been positive over the past few weeks. He added users are reporting that Direct File is simple, safe, and easy to use.