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1099-R Recipients May Now Qualify for Direct File

Eligible New Yorkers Can File Their State and Federal Returns from a Laptop or Smartphone – For Free

For Release: Immediate, Tuesday, March 11, 2025

For media inquiries only, contact: Ryan Cleveland, 518-457-7377

Press release also available in Spanish.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today announced that Direct File is now available to many individuals who receive Form 1099-R. New York State Direct File is a free, easy-to-use e-file option for eligible taxpayers to file their 2024 federal and state personal income tax returns for free.

Taxpayers who receive Form 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc, may qualify to use Direct File if they have:

  • contributions or distributions from employer-sponsored retirement plans, like a 401(k), pension, annuity, 403(b), or governmental 457(b); or
  • direct rollovers from one employer-sponsored retirement plan to another or an IRA.

Direct File is a great option for taxpayers with basic returns: those with one or two main sources of wages claiming the most common deductions and credits. New Yorkers with 2024 wages of up to $200,000 - or $250,000 if filing a joint return - may qualify. Taxpayers can access Direct File from their smartphone, laptop, tablet, or desktop computer - in English or Spanish.

To get started with Direct File:

  1. Check eligibility for New York State Direct File. The Direct File program has expanded this year, so taxpayers may qualify even if they didn’t last year.
  2. Check eligibility for IRS Direct File. New York State and the IRS have different filing conditions, so it’s important to review both.
  3. If eligible for both, go to File your taxes for free to get started. After filing the federal return, tax information will be seamlessly transferred to New York State Direct File to complete the New York State return.

The average New York taxpayer can save around $260 in tax preparation fees by using Direct File.

For more information, visit IRS Direct File news and the Tax Department’s Direct File webpage for the latest updates and information about Direct File.

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