Starting in the summer of 2022, the IRS will require all taxpayers who use the IRS website for things like access to the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, getting their tax transcript, or viewing their payment history to create an account with the third party identity verification company ID.me.
The days of just using a simple username and password are over. Because such sensitive information can now be accessed through the IRS site, you will need to provide a government document with a photo, like your driver's license, state ID, or passport, AND take a video selfie with your smartphone or computer.
The IRS says if you currently have an account in place it will still be accessible until the summer but you will then be required to switch over to the new system. The IRS wants to be perfectly clear though and state this is NOT a requirement to file your tax return or to make payments to them via their Direct Pay online system.
Sounds like a pain in the you know what right? See our post on Power of Attorney Form 2848 and how we can help you avoid a lot of this frustration.
The process for creating an account is a doozy. Expect the whole process to take somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes to complete everything. You'll also need the following in order to set an account up:
- Photo Identification: Driver's License, State ID, Passport,or Passport Card
- A computer AND cell phone with access to the internet: You will need both a computer and cell phone to create an account.
- Full Legal Name
- Your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Here's the process for creating your account!
Go to this IRS page on their website: Click HERE and click on the "Create a new account" button.
On this new page you will need to enter your email address that you would like the account to be registered to and set up your password. Passwords must be at least 8 characters long, use UPPER and lower case letters, and at least one number.
Check the box "I accept the ID.me Terms of Service and Privacy Policy". Links are available for you to review those documents if you wish.
Click the blue "Create an ID.me account" button.
You will then be sent a confirmation email to the address you just signed up with from ID.me with the subject line "Welcome to ID.me". Inside this email will be a blue "Confirm" button which you must press to confirm your email address.
After you click the Confirm button you'll be presented with a pop-up window that the address is confirmed which you can now close.
At the website now you should see a blue "Continue" button which you'll need to click in order to move forward with the process. Once you click it you'll be asked to secure your account. There are five options to do so. The easiest is the first option: Text Message or Phone Call. Click the Select button with that choice.
Enter in your cell phone number. You'll be given the choice of either receiving a text message or an automated phone call to proceed. If you use text, a 6 digit verification code will be sent to you and you'll need to enter that code in the window to confirm your phone number. Once you've entered it click the "Continue" button. A new window will open up confirming your account is now secure with a two-factor authentication. Should you ever lose your cell phone you'll have an option to generate a recovery code. You'll also receive a new email confirming your cell phone is set up with multi-factor authentication and it will display the last 4 digits of the number you chose.
Now for all the IDs.
You'll be presented with a new window to choose a Verify Your Identity option. Press the "Start Now" button for your choice of identity documents and click the "I acknowledge that I have received, read, and agree to the terms of the ID.me Biometric Information Privacy Policy" checkbox before clicking the "Continue" button.
You'll be taken to a Verify Your Identity page and you'll have two options. You can verify using your computer or phone. Again, using your phone is the easiest option. You will be asked to enter your phone number and press the "Continue" button. You'll receive a text message to the phone with a link to upload a picture of your ID document. When you're ready click on the "I'm ready to take a photo" button.
Depending on which ID option you used, you'll see information about how to position your ID in order to take the photo. For driver's licenses and state IDs you'll need to take photos of the front and back to complete the process. Once you take a picture, your photo should appear in the section of the website corresponding to that view of the document. If they do not look clear you have the option to retake them so make sure they're good and clear. Once you're done and you're ready to continue, click the "Continue" button.
ID.me will then check your uploaded ID for authenticity and they say it can take up to 15 seconds to do so. Once they're done you'll see a new window to continue verifying your identity and now they're going to ask you to take a video selfie! Last chance to freshen up before your ID.me account will be forever linked to whatever image of yourself you want them to see. They recommend doing this in a well-lit room.
When you press the "Scan my face" button, a portrait window will appear and you'll need to align your face inside the portrait oval. It will prompt you to shift your face to make sure you're getting the best image. Once the scan is completed you're done with your phone and it's back to the computer.
The computer browser window will then start comparing your selfie that you just took to the document that you just uploaded. Once that page is finished you will need to enter in your Social Security Number and click the "Continue" button.
Finally, we've reached the confirmation page. Check that all the information on the screen is correct and matches what is printed on your ID you uploaded. You click the "Edit" link in each section if you need to correct any information. If everything looks good then click the "The information I've provided is correct, and I accept the use of Fair Credit Reporting Act data to verify my identity." checkbox. There are links provided on that screen for you to read about the FCRA if you want to. When you're ready press the "Continue" button.
After yet another short wait to continue verifying your identity, you'll next be asked to authorize the Internal Revenue Service to utilize your ID.me account and you'll be provided with a list of data they'll have access to such as your name, address, email, birthdate, etc. Then finally click the blue "Allow" button.
If everything goes well, and let's be honest, there's no shame in crying if it doesn't, you'll receive your final email from ID.me with the subject "You have completed your identity verification".
Congratulations, you're done.