On November 17, 2021, it was announced that the IRS would be implementing a new verification process for taxpayers to access their online accounts. To help better protect taxpayer privacy and reduce fraud, the IRS has teamed up with ID.me, a third-party verification company that uses facial recognition to confirm a user’s identity. This new ID.me account will be required to access a number of the IRS’s online services, such as the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, transcripts, acquiring an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN), and online payment agreements. You do not need an ID.me account to file your tax return. If you currently have an IRS username, you can continue to use it until summer 2022, at which point you will be required to switch to an ID.me account.

You can start the process by going to the “Your Online Account” page at IRS.gov and click the “Sign into your online account” button.