Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Yemeni Armed Forces: Companies that have not announced the suspension of their flights should follow in the footsteps of those who did, suspending flights to airports in occupied Palestine
Yemeni Armed Forces: The operation confirms the continued blockade on navigation at Ben Gurion Airport
Yemeni Armed Forces: The missile successfully achieved its goal, causing millions of Zionists to flee to shelters and halting air traffic for about an hour
Yemeni Armed Forces: We targeted Ben Gurion Airport in the occupied Yafa region with a hypersonic ballistic missile
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Air raid sirens sound in the Gaza envelope settlements
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The number of martyrs in the European Hospital massacre in Khan Younis has exceeded 20
Senior Resistance figure: Loser Netanyahu is trying to please the Zionist right by claiming that he is achieving success in Gaza
Senior Resistance figure: Israeli media reports about the presence of a Resistance leader at the site of the massacre committed by targeting the European Hospital are not true
Israeli army claims intercepting a ballistic missile launched from Yemen
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Sirens sound in Tel Aviv and occupied al-Quds

Musk ally moving to close office behind IRS free tax filling program

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 2 Mar 2025 19:13
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

Elon Musk claimed in early February that he "deleted" 18F programs as part of a broader strategy to slash some federal government initiatives and jobs.

Listen
  • x
  • Musk ally moving to close office behind IRS free tax filling program
    The sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building is seen on May 4, 2021 in Washington (AP)

The office behind a popular free online tax filing option will be closed and its staff will be laid off, an ally of Elon Musk in the US government revealed in a late-night email Saturday. 

The 18F office of the General Services Administration (GSA) developed the IRS Direct File program, which allows for free internet tax filings. It has been a frequent target of Musk, and one of the billionaire's close acquaintances, who occupies a senior position in the GSA, notified colleagues that the agency would close 18F in an email sent at 1 am on Saturday.

Thomas Shedd, a 28-year-old former Tesla software engineer, sent the email after taking over as director of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services in late January.

As per the email, the firings were in support of Donald Trump's executive order issued shortly after taking office, which allowed Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) taskforce to reduce federal employees.

"The 18F Office has been identified as part of this phase of the GSA's Reduction in Force (RIF) as non-critical," according to the message.

Related News

Senate report reveals Trump slashed cancer research by 31%

China, Latin America unite in face of Trump's tariffs, trade war

“This decision was made with explicit direction from the top levels of leadership within both the Administration and GSA. There are no other TTS programs impacted at this time, however we anticipate more change in the future.”

It's unclear what will happen to 18F programs like the direct filing system or how many of the approximately 90 employees at the GSA office will be let go.

Musk claimed in early February that he "deleted" 18F when reacting on X to a right-wing influencer who criticized the agency of being "far left". 

Musk did not expand on his comments, which generated uncertainty because the 18F website and services, like its direct file program, remained operational.

In addition to working on the free tax return program, the 18F office collaborated with several government organizations to upgrade technology and create new software products. In 2024, it worked on over 31 projects for various government organizations, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It has been a member of the GSA since 2014.

Shortly after taking over TTS, Shedd told workers that he intended to manage the agency like a tech company, implementing artificial intelligence systems throughout the government. 

The GSA is one of the primary departments that Musk and his acquaintances have taken over as part of a larger, potentially unlawful deconstruction of the federal government, which has resulted in cuts to services such as humanitarian relief and disease control while seeking to reform agencies based on ideology.

  • Elon Musk
  • Donald Trump
  • Tesla CEO Elon Musk
  • Internal Revenue Service
  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
  • United States

Most Read

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu, senior Israeli official says

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu: Israeli media

  • US & Canada
  • 9 May 2025
Pakistan downs an Indian jet and hits a military base in Kashmir escalation.

Pakistan downs 3 Indian jets, hits military base in Kashmir escalation

  • Politics
  • 7 May 2025
A Yemeni gunman walks past paintings depicting rockets and scenes in solidarity with Gaza, displayed on a roadside fence in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, May 5, 2025 (AP)

Oman brokers US-Yemen ceasefire, Israelis in dark regarding deal

  • Politics
  • 6 May 2025
Saree

Yemeni Armed Forces target key Israeli sites, USS Truman

  • MENA
  • 7 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greet delegations during an arrival ceremony at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025 (AP/Alex Brandon)
MENA

Trump pushing AI chip deals in Saudi, UAE trip

Raed Zaharna, right, and his sister Sally sit in their family tent after their mother, Ward, returned empty-handed from trying to receive donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 9, 2025 (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
MENA

Gaza hunger crisis: Medecins du Monde condemns 'Israel'

FILE - This combo shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, pictured in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 25, 2025 and Steve Witkoff, right, White House special envoy, pictured in Washington, on March 19, 2025. (AP Photos Stringer, Mark Schiefelbein)
Politics

Poll: Americans overwhelmingly prefer diplomacy with Iran

A person rides past the Google sign outside the Google offices in Sunnyvale, California, April 18, 2024 (AP/Terry Chea)
Technology

Google signed off on Project Nimbus despite warnings of misuse

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS