How to Set Up an IRS Account and Verify Your Identity

Setting up an IRS online account takes roughly 15 to 30 minutes if your documents are in front of you and the automated identity check accepts your selfie on the first try. You register on irs.gov, get routed to a third-party credential service called ID.me to prove who you are, and then link that verified credential back to the IRS. The identity step is where most people either sail through or get stuck, so it’s worth knowing what the process looks like before you start.¹

What to Have Ready Before You Begin

Gather everything first. Restarting because you’re missing a document can trigger a temporary lockout, and the automated system is unforgiving about mismatches.

Your Social Security Number or ITIN.
A current, unexpired government-issued photo ID: a U.S. driver’s license, state ID, or passport.
An email address you can access right now.
A mobile phone number that can receive text messages.
A smartphone camera or computer webcam for the selfie check.

Your name, address, and date of birth need to match across all these documents. The system checks your information against Social Security Administration records, and small discrepancies, like a middle name shown on your ID that isn’t on your SSN record, can cause a rejection.²

Registering on IRS.gov

Start on the “Online Account for Individuals” page at irs.gov. Click to sign in or create an account, and the site hands you off to ID.me, a credential provider that meets federal security standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.²

If you already have an ID.me account from another government service, such as a state benefits portal or the VA, sign in with those credentials and skip to the step where you connect ID.me to the IRS. New users create an ID.me account by entering an email address, setting a password, and turning on two-factor authentication. From there, you enter your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and current residential address.

ID.me then verifies your mobile phone number by texting a code. This is separate from the two-factor authentication you just set up. ID.me also uses your phone history as one data point to help confirm your identity, so the number should be one that belongs to you and has been active for some time.

Verifying Your Identity

After the data entry, the system asks you to photograph the front and back of your photo ID. Most people do this from a smartphone. If you started on a computer, ID.me can text a secure link that opens the camera directly on your phone. Make sure all four corners of the document are in the frame, the text is legible, and there is no glare across the photo or the printed information.³

Then comes the selfie. You look into your camera and take a live photo, and the software compares it to the photo on your ID to confirm you’re the same person. If your lighting is decent and your face is clearly visible, this finishes in a few minutes. ID.me runs your information through fraud-prevention databases before issuing a result.

When the Selfie Fails: The Video Call Path

The automated comparison fails more often than you might expect, especially with older IDs or poor lighting. When that happens, ID.me routes you to a live video session with what it calls a Trusted Referee. You can wait in the virtual queue for the next available agent or schedule an appointment for later.

During the call, you hold up your documents on camera and the agent verifies them visually. You’ll need either two primary documents, such as a driver’s license and a passport, or one primary document plus two secondary documents like a Social Security card or a health insurance card. The agent then confirms your identity and issues your credential.⁴

Expect a wait during filing season. The queue can stretch from minutes to hours, and if you leave the virtual waiting room your place resets when you come back. Scheduling an appointment avoids that entirely.

When Verification Won’t Complete

Some users hit “Error Code 6000,” which means a security condition is blocking access. The IRS doesn’t specify what triggers it, and at that point you can’t use the online service. The error page links to alternative options, which generally means requesting records by mail or phone.⁴ In limited situations, particularly when the IRS has flagged a return for possible identity theft, you may receive a letter directing you to verify in person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. That’s a targeted response, not a general alternative to the online process.

What Happens to Your Selfie

Facial-recognition data has been a real sticking point since the IRS began using ID.me. After public pressure in 2022, the IRS said selfie images collected during account creation must be deleted, and any previously collected biometric data would be permanently purged.⁵ If you take the video call path, no biometric data is collected at all.

You can also delete your selfie data manually through ID.me’s privacy settings. Deletion takes up to seven days. If facial recognition is a concern for you, choose the video call option from the outset.

Linking ID.me to the IRS

Once ID.me confirms your identity, you’ll see a prompt asking whether you consent to share your verified credentials with the IRS. This authorization is required. It’s what actually connects the identity you just verified to your IRS tax records. Select the option to share, and the system sends you back to irs.gov.

Before you land on your account dashboard, the IRS sends a multi-factor authentication code to your registered phone or email. Enter it to finish logging in. That same code step will run every time you sign in going forward, and it’s the main safeguard keeping your tax data out of anyone else’s hands.

Individual Account vs. Business Account

One thing to know before you start: the account you’re creating covers personal tax obligations. Form 1040 filings, individual income tax payments, and personal transcripts all live here. Partnerships, S corporations, and C corporations use a separate Business Tax Account on irs.gov for filings like employment tax on Form 941 and entity-level returns.⁶

Sole proprietors sit in between. Because Schedule C income flows through your personal Form 1040, the individual account captures it. But the Business Tax Account isn’t yet available to sole proprietors or single-member LLCs filing as sole proprietors, so the individual account is currently your only option for online access to IRS records.⁶

Once you’re inside your account, the dashboard gives you tax transcripts, balance and payment history, digital copies of IRS notices, the ability to approve a tax professional’s authorization request, and a place to request an Identity Protection PIN, among other tools.²

1
Internal Revenue Service. Create an IRS Individual Online Account Today for Security and Convenience
2
Internal Revenue Service. Online Account for Individuals
3
Internal Revenue Service. New Identity Verification Process to Access Certain IRS Online Tools and Services
4
Internal Revenue Service. How to Register for IRS Online Self-Help Tools
5
Internal Revenue Service. IRS Statement — New Features Put in Place for IRS Online Account Registration; Process Strengthened to Ensure Privacy and Security
6
Internal Revenue Service. Business Tax Account