BENEFITS OF AN ONLINE ACCOUNT ON IRS.GOV
Did you know that you can create an individual online account at irs.gov? In just 5 to 10 minutes of initial setup, you can have instant online access to information that may otherwise take hours of waiting on the phone trying to connect to an IRS agent to retrieve.
An IRS Online Account gives you access to essential tax information that allows you to:
- Check the status of your refund or amended return
- Review payment history for the previous five years
- View digital copies of IRS Notices
- Retrieve or view tax Transcripts which shows key tax return information
- Option to make same-day payments or schedule future ones
- Provides the ability to review and create payment plan options and modify existing payment plans
- Approve and electronically sign Power of Attorney and Tax information Authorization from your tax professional
- Apply for an Identity Protection PIN (see more information on this below)
How to create an account:
- Go to https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-account-for-individuals
- Select – “ID.me Create an account”
ID.me is an account created, maintained, and secured by a technology provider. With an ID.me account, you can access other government partners who also use this sign-in option, such as the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
When creating your ID.me account, you will need to verify your identity. You can use either a self-service process that requires a photo of a government ID and selfie, or a live call with an ID.me video chat agent that doesn’t require biometric data.
Once you’ve established your ID.me account, you can sign into your IRS Online account and have all the above information at your fingertips.
BENEFITS OF AN IDENTITY PROTECTION PIN
An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a sixdigit number the IRS assigns to help protect you from taxrelated identity theft. It prevents anyone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Your IP PIN is known only to you, the IRS, and your tax preparer when you choose to share it with them.
Once you have received an initial IP PIN, you’ll receive a new one at the beginning of each calendar year by mail on a CP01A Notice, and it will also be available on your online account from mid-January through mid-November. This number will need to be included with any tax returns filed during that calendar year.
How to get an Identity Protection PIN:
- If you have been a victim of identity theft with the IRS in the past, they will automatically enroll you in the IP PIN program.
- Login to your IRS Online Account:
- Select Profile on the upper right-side menu
- On the left side of the screen, you’ll see “Identity Protection PIN”
- Select the “Enroll in IP PIN” button
- Select the “Get an IP PIN” button
Remember that once you enroll for an IP PIN, you will receive a new one every calendar year.
Using an IRS Online Account and enrolling in an IP PIN are simple steps that can provide greater convenience and added protection over your personal tax information.