To sign in to IRS online tools, you go through ID.me, the identity verification service the IRS uses for taxpayer-facing accounts.1Internal Revenue Service. Creating an Account for IRS.gov The ID.me IRS login is a one-time setup followed by a routine sign-in: you create an ID.me account, verify your identity with a photo ID and either a selfie or a video call, and set up multi-factor authentication. After that, the same email, password, and MFA code get you into your online account, transcripts, payment plans, and Identity Protection PIN tool. Plan on ten minutes to over an hour for the first-time setup, depending on which verification path you land on.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
The setup goes faster when everything is in front of you:
- An email address you can access right now, which becomes your username.
- A government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID, passport, U.S. military ID, or permanent resident card.
- Your Social Security number, which the IRS cross-references against federal records.
- A mobile phone that can receive text messages, or a device that runs an authenticator app or supports passkeys.
Image quality matters more than people expect. Blurry photos, glare, or an expired document will trigger an automatic rejection. Before you begin, photograph the front and back of your ID against a dark, flat surface with even lighting.
Setting Up Your ID.me Account
Start from the IRS tool you want to use and click “Sign in with ID.me.” You’ll be sent to ID.me to create an account with your email and a strong password. From there the process branches into identity verification.
Self-Service Verification
The fastest route is self-service. You upload images of your photo ID, then take a selfie on your phone or computer. ID.me compares the selfie to the photo on the ID. Poor lighting, hats, and glasses that obscure your face are the usual reasons this step fails. If it does, you can retake the selfie or switch to a video call.
Video Call Verification
If self-service doesn’t work, or you don’t have a smartphone camera, a video call with an ID.me agent is the backup.2ID.me Help Center. Verifying With an Extended Video Call You hold your physical ID up to the camera while the agent confirms your name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number. Scheduling an appointment ahead of time beats waiting in the live queue, and it’s worth doing during tax season, when wait times climb sharply.3ID.me Help Center. Schedule an ID.me Video Call Appointment Online The video call path also works if you’d rather not submit a biometric selfie.
Multi-Factor Authentication and Your Recovery Code
Once your identity is verified, you set up multi-factor authentication. ID.me supports a text message code, an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator or Authy, or a passkey that uses your device’s fingerprint reader, Face ID, or PIN.4ID.me Help Center. Set Up Passkey MFA on Your ID.me Wallet
During this initial MFA setup, ID.me shows you a one-time recovery code. Save it. Write it down and store it somewhere safe. This code is your emergency backup if you lose your phone or authentication device, and it can only be generated during initial setup. When you use a recovery code, a new one is issued and the old one becomes invalid.5ID.me Help Center. Get and Use Your ID.me Recovery Code
Signing In After Setup
Once the account exists, sign-in is quick. Go to the IRS tool you need, click “Sign in with ID.me,” enter your email and password, and complete the MFA step with a one-time code or your passkey.
The same credential covers the main taxpayer-facing tools:
- Online Account, for your balance, payment history, and payment plan details.
- Get Transcript, to download or request Form 1040-series transcripts.
- Online Payment Agreement, to set up or modify an installment plan.
- Identity Protection PIN, to get or retrieve the six-digit PIN that blocks someone else from filing a return under your SSN.6Internal Revenue Service. New Identity Verification Process to Access Certain IRS Online Tools and Services
You don’t create separate logins for each of these; one verified ID.me credential works across all of them.6Internal Revenue Service. New Identity Verification Process to Access Certain IRS Online Tools and Services
IRS sessions log you out after a period of inactivity. When that happens, you sign in again through the full email, password, and MFA flow. There’s no way to resume a timed-out session, so finish what you came to do before stepping away.
Fixing Common Sign-In Problems
Forgotten Password
Click “Forgot password?” on the ID.me sign-in page. A reset link goes to your registered email. If you’ve lost access to that email, contact ID.me support directly; the IRS cannot reset ID.me credentials for you.
Lost Phone or MFA Device
This is where the recovery code pays off. If you saved it, choose “Recovery code” when prompted for MFA and enter it. A new recovery code is issued right away, so save that one too.5ID.me Help Center. Get and Use Your ID.me Recovery Code Without a recovery code, you’ll go through ID.me’s support process to reset your MFA, which may involve another video call. It’s the most painful access problem to fix, and it’s entirely avoidable at setup.
Account Lockout
Too many failed password attempts will lock your ID.me account. Wait out the lockout period, then try again or use the password reset flow. The IRS cannot unlock your ID.me account; the two systems are managed separately.7ID.me Help Center. Unlock Your ID.me Wallet
Rejected ID Photos
Retake them with better lighting against a plain background, and make sure all four corners of the document show. An expired ID will be rejected no matter how good the image is, so check the expiration date before you upload.
ITIN Holders and Filers Abroad
If you have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number rather than a Social Security number, the document requirements shift. You’ll need either a passport or two supporting documents, one proving identity and one proving foreign status. Acceptable identity documents include a USCIS photo ID, foreign driver’s license, national ID card, or foreign military ID. Documents that prove foreign status include a U.S. visa, foreign voter registration card, or foreign civil birth certificate.8Internal Revenue Service. ITIN Supporting Documents
U.S. citizens living abroad hit a different snag: the standard flow assumes a domestic phone number and address. On the personal information screen, select “I don’t live in the United States” and enter your non-U.S. address. An international phone number will work for MFA, but if it throws errors, set up a passkey instead since it doesn’t rely on phone service.9ID.me Help Center. Verify With ID.me if You Live Outside the U.S. and Have an SSN
If You Can’t or Won’t Use ID.me
The IRS offers offline alternatives, though they’re slower and narrower. You can request tax transcripts without an online account by completing Form 4506-T and mailing it to the IRS; transcripts are generally sent within 15 calendar days of the IRS receiving your request.10Internal Revenue Service. About Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return
In-person identity verification at a Taxpayer Assistance Center exists too, but only in specific situations, such as when the IRS sends a Letter 5747C flagging possible identity theft on your return. You call the number on the letter to schedule an appointment and bring the letter along with the identification and return documents it lists.11Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Letter 5747C It’s not a general substitute for creating an online account, only an option when the IRS has directed you to it.