IRS Changes Plans for New Login Process

Did you read the article last week about the new IRS log-in process that tax professionals will need to use to access certain IRS tools? If so, forgive me, because there is now new news about this topic.

The IRS has announced a transition away from the use of ID.me's verification software that uses facial recognition technology.

According to the February 7th IRS announcement, "The IRS announced it will transition away from using a third-party service for facial recognition to help authenticate people creating new online accounts. The transition will occur over the coming weeks in order to prevent larger disruptions to taxpayers during filing season."

The announcement came after wide-ranging criticism, including a congressional outcry. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden had said on Twitter. 'I'm very disturbed that Americans may have to submit to a facial recognition system, wait on hold for hours, or both, to access personal data on the IRS website."

Following the IRS announcement, Senator Wyden posted, "The Treasury Department has made the smart decision to direct the IRS to transition away from using the controversial ID.me verification service, as I requested earlier today

What will the new authentication process be? As of now, that isn't known. The IRS announcement also stated, "During the transition, the IRS will quickly develop and bring online an additional authentication process that does not involve facial recognition. The IRS will also continue to work with its cross-government partners to develop authentication methods that protect taxpayer data and ensure broad access to online tools." 

What does all of this mean for those of you who, like me, created your ID.me account? I'm not sure, but I will do some digging to find out.