How to Create an IRS Account: ID.me Verification and MFA Setup

To create an IRS account, go to irs.gov, open the Individual Online Account page, and register through ID.me, the identity service the IRS uses to confirm you are who you say you are.¹ You will upload a photo of a government-issued ID, take a live selfie, and set up a second sign-in factor. Most people finish in under 15 minutes when their documents are ready. Almost every failure happens at the identity check, so the preparation below matters more than the clicks.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Gather everything first. Once ID.me starts the verification flow, pausing and resuming is awkward.

An email address you can open right away, since you have to click a confirmation link.
Your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. ITIN holders can create accounts.²
A government-issued photo ID: U.S. driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. or foreign passport, passport card, or permanent resident card. Military IDs and temporary paper documents are not accepted.³
A smartphone or a computer with a working camera, for the ID photo and the selfie.

Your ID needs to be unexpired. There is one exception: a driver’s license or state ID that expired within the last 12 months works if you also upload a renewal, extension, or temporary license alongside it.³

Check that the name on your ID matches the name on file with the Social Security Administration exactly. A middle name on one but not the other, a hyphen dropped, a post-marriage change that never made it to the SSA, any of these will produce an error and force you to start over.²

Registering Step by Step

Open the Individual Online Account page on irs.gov and choose to sign in or create a new account.¹ The site sends you to ID.me, where you create a separate ID.me account with an email and password. That ID.me login becomes your credential for every future IRS session.

Once the ID.me account exists, the platform runs you through identity verification. Upload a clear photo of your government ID. The system reads the document and extracts your name, date of birth, and ID number. Lighting is the usual problem. A shadowed or blurry image is one of the most common reasons the system rejects a submission and asks you to try again.

Then comes the selfie. ID.me uses liveness detection and machine learning to compare your face to the photo on the ID you just uploaded.⁴ Frame your face, hold still, and let the software work. When the match succeeds, ID.me asks whether you consent to share your verified identity with the IRS. Approve that, and your account is live.

If the Selfie Fails: The Video Call Option

When the automated selfie match will not go through, ID.me routes you to a live video call with a trained agent.² Wait times vary. The call itself is straightforward: the agent confirms your name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number, then asks you to hold your original documents up to the camera so they can inspect them.⁵

For the video call you need either two primary documents or one primary and one secondary document. Copies and photos are not accepted. You must have the originals in hand.⁵ Secondary documents include a Social Security card, a utility bill dated within the last year, a bank statement, a W-2, a birth certificate with an official seal, or a recent pay stub.³

After the agent confirms your identity, return to the IRS portal, sign in with your ID.me credentials, and select “Allow” when asked to share your verified information. The account opens from there.

Setting Up Multi-Factor Authentication

ID.me requires a second sign-in factor every time you log in. You pick the method during setup, ranked here from strongest to most convenient:⁶

Passkey, using your device’s fingerprint reader, facial recognition, or PIN. The strongest choice and resistant to phishing.
Security key, a physical USB device you tap when prompted. Also strong, but you have to carry it.
Authenticator app, which generates a rotating six-digit code through the ID.me Authenticator or a similar app.
Push notification sent to the ID.me Authenticator app that you approve with a tap.
Text message or phone call with a six-digit code. Easiest, weakest.

If you lose your phone or change your number, ID.me has a recovery path. From the sign-in page, choose “MFA recovery process” when the second-factor prompt appears. You confirm wallet ownership with a selfie, video call, or personal information check. Once confirmed, you have 30 minutes to set up a new MFA method. Miss the window and the recovery starts over.⁷

Common Errors and How to Clear Them

Most rejections trace back to a few problems, and the error code tells you which.

Error 6001 means the name on your ID.me account does not match Social Security Administration records. Usually the culprit is a nickname, a dropped hyphen, or a name change that never reached the SSA. Fix it by updating the name in ID.me to match SSA records, or by updating your name with the SSA itself.⁸

Error 6101 means you completed verification without adding a Social Security number or ITIN to your profile. The IRS requires one of the two, so add it and try again.⁸

Selfie failures are often lighting or camera quality, not an actual face mismatch. Move to a well-lit room, take off glasses and hats, hold the phone at eye level. After two attempts that go nowhere, switch to the video call option.

If You Cannot or Do Not Want to Verify Online

Not everyone can finish the online process. If you do not own a smartphone, cannot take a usable selfie, or prefer not to use ID.me, you can still reach your tax information.

Get Transcripts by Phone or Mail

Call the IRS automated transcript line at 800-908-9946 and request that a transcript be mailed to the address on file. It typically arrives in 5 to 10 calendar days.⁹ You can also submit Form 4506-T by mail or fax.¹⁰

Visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center

The IRS runs Taxpayer Assistance Centers across the country for in-person help. All of them require an appointment scheduled by calling 844-545-5640.¹¹ Bring your photo ID and any relevant tax documents. The “Contact Your Local Office” tool on irs.gov shows the nearest center along with hours and services.

What the Account Actually Does

Once you are signed in, the dashboard covers more than a balance lookup:¹

View balances by tax year, with a payoff amount that updates daily.
Download transcripts, check your adjusted gross income, track refund and amended return status, and pull information returns like W-2s and certain 1099s.
Schedule bank payments up to 365 days ahead, or cancel a scheduled payment before it processes.
Apply for a new installment agreement or modify an existing one.
Read more than 200 types of digital IRS notices sent to you.¹²
Approve power of attorney and tax information authorization requests from a tax professional.
Request an Identity Protection PIN to keep someone else from filing a return under your Social Security number.
Turn on email notifications and opt into digital delivery of certain notices instead of paper.

Up to five years of payment history are visible, including estimated tax payments.¹³

Deleting Your Selfie After Verification

The selfie you upload contains biometric data, and ID.me lets you delete it once verification is done. Sign in to your ID.me account, go to Sign in and Security, choose Privacy, and under “My Data Rights” select “Remove my data,” then “Delete my selfie.” The deletion can take up to seven days to process.¹⁴

Deleting the selfie does not disturb your ability to sign in. Your ID.me account and verified status stay intact. If you ever need to re-verify later, you would take a new selfie at that point.

1
Internal Revenue Service. Online Account for Individuals
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Internal Revenue Service. How to Register for IRS Online Self-Help Tools
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ID.me Help Center. Primary and Secondary Identification Documents
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ID.me. Identity Verification
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ID.me Help Center. Verifying With an Extended Video Call
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ID.me Help Center. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Options for ID.me
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ID.me Help Center. ID.me MFA Recovery Steps if You Lost Access or Can’t Sign In
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ID.me Help Center. Get Help After Verifying for the IRS
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Internal Revenue Service. Get Your Tax Records and Transcripts
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Internal Revenue Service. Request for Transcript of Tax Return
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Internal Revenue Service. Here’s What Taxpayers Should Know Before Visiting an IRS Office
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Internal Revenue Service. IRS Individual Online Accounts: An Easy Tool for Taxpayers
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Internal Revenue Service. IRS Online Account Makes It Easy for Taxpayers to View Their Tax Info Anytime
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ID.me Help Center. Delete Selfies and Biometric Information