Do You Need a New IRS Identity Verification?

ALERT: The Treasury Department has directed the IRS to transition away from using the controversial ID.me ID facial recognition verification services after deciding that much of the biometric information is inherently risky, pointing out that many facial recognition systems have deep racial and gender biases. So, you will not need an ID.me verification if the future IRS requirement is your only need for one.

Article Highlights:

• IRS Identity Verification 
• Access to Online Tools and Applications 
• About ID.me 
• How to Create an ID.me Account 

In November of 2021, the Internal Revenue Service launched an improved identity verification and sign-in process that enables more people to securely access and use IRS online tools and applications.

Taxpayers using this new mobile-friendly verification procedure can gain entry to existing IRS online services such as the:

• Child Tax Credit Update Portal, 
• Online Account, 
• Get Transcript Online, 
• Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) and 
• Online Payment Agreement. 

The IRS will transition additional IRS applications to the new method over the next year. Identity verification is critical to protect taxpayers and their information and is the reason the IRS has been making improvements in this area, and this new verification process is designed to make IRS online applications and tools as secure as possible.

This new process can reach more people through the expanded use of identity documents and increased help desk assistance for taxpayers who encounter a problem when attempting to verify their identity online.

To provide this verification service, the IRS is using ID.me, a trusted technology provider. The new process is one more step the IRS is taking to ensure that taxpayer information is provided only to the person who legally has a right to the data.

When accessing the tools listed above, taxpayers will be asked to sign in with an ID.me account. People who already have IRS usernames may continue to use their credentials from the old system to sign-in until summer 2022 but are prompted to create an ID.me account as soon as possible. Anyone with an existing ID.me account from the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, or from another government agency, can sign in with their existing credentials.

Create an ID.me Account - If you do not already have an ID.me account and wish to create a new ID.me account, you’ll be asked to verify your email address, create a password, and secure your account. Afterward, you will be presented with steps to verify your identity. To verify your identity with ID.me, you'll need to provide a photo of an identity document such as a driver's license, state ID, or passport. You'll also need to take a selfie with a smartphone or a computer with a webcam. If you need help verifying your identity or to submit a support ticket, you can visit the ID.me IRS Help Site. If you need further registration assistance, a support request can be submitted on the help site by selecting the “Contact Us” option in the Support page header. Fill out the form as instructed on the page to submit a support request.

If you have multiple identity verification failures, ID.me may send you to a “Trusted Referee” process where you can upload alternative identity documentation, take a selfie, and then talk to an ID.me Trusted Referee via a video call. Video calls are offered in American Sign Language if requested.

If you have questions about your need for an ID.me account, please contact this office.

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