Accurate calculations are reported for the photoionization of the grou
nd and the excited states of Fe I with an extensive coupled channel ex
pansion using the R-matrix method. A total of 52 LS terms of the core
ion Fe II dominated by configurations 3d(6)4s, 3d(7), 3d(6)4p, 3d(5)4s
(2), 3d(5)4s4p are included; these eigenstates thereby account for the
photoionization of the outer 4s subshell as well as the open inner 3d
subshell of the ground state 3d(6)4s(2)(D-5) of Fe I. The coupling of
all relevant photoionization channels give rise to extensive autoioni
zation structures and ensure that no large and sharp discontinuity at
the 3d inner-shelf ionization edge is present. The new results differ
by up to several orders of magnitude from earlier data in central fiel
d type approximations that are currently employed in plasma modelling
of astrophysical and laboratory sources.