IRS Account for Online Access

[Randy W]

This seems like really bad news for being able to access IRS information online. The headline is misleading - the actual process to be required is MUCH more intimidating and elaborate.

Prior to setting up my IRS account online (which currently uses the IRS2Go app for verification), I had no reasonable way of getting the IRS transcripts.

The FIDO security key may be a good idea, since it is also used by my bank.

My guess is that the phone number verification won't work with a Chinese number, but that my Anveo number may just cut the mustard (it works fine for my bank).

IRS Will Soon Require Selfies for Online Access

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If you created an online account to manage your tax records with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), those login credentials will cease to work later this year. The agency says that by the summer of 2022, the only way to log in to irs.gov will be through ID.me, an online identity verification service that requires applicants to submit copies of bills and identity documents, as well as a live video feed of their faces via a mobile device.

 . . .

Since my credentials at the IRS will soon no longer work, I opted to create an ID.me account and share the experience here. An important preface to this walk-through is that verifying one’s self with Id.me requires one to be able to take a live, video selfie — either with the camera on a mobile device or a webcam attached to a computer (your webcam must be able to open on the device you’re using to apply for the ID.me account).

Also, successfully verifying your identity with ID.me may require a significant investment of time, and quite a bit of patience. For example, stepping away from one part of the many-step application process for a little more than five minutes necessitated another login, and then the re-submission of documents I’d previously uploaded.

 . . .

Next, applicants are asked to upload images of their driver’s license, state-issued ID, or passport — either via a saved file or by scanning them with a webcam or mobile device.

If your documents get accepted, ID.me will then prompt you to take a live selfie with your mobile device or webcam. That took several attempts. When my computer’s camera produced an acceptable result, ID.me said it was comparing the output to the images on my driver’s license scans.

After this, ID.me requires the verification of your phone number, which means they will ask your mobile or landline provider to validate you are indeed an existing, paying customer who can be reached at that number. ID.me says it currently does not accept phone numbers tied to voice-over-IP services like Google Voice and Skype.

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

People freak out on VJ over this - IRS Will Soon Require Selfies for Online Access

[Randy W]

The Scientific American weighs in, mostly about the facial recognition involved, but also about "too many unknowns for comfort" about ID.me and their relationship with the government.

Facial Recognition Plan from IRS Raises Big Concerns
Government agencies are tapping a facial recognition company to prove you’re you

Credit: Westend61/Getty Images

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The IRS decision has prompted a backlash, in part over concerns about requiring citizens to use facial recognition technology and in part over difficulties some people have had in using the system, particularly with some state agencies that provide unemployment benefits. The reaction has prompted the IRS to revisit its decision.

As a computer science researcher and the chair of the Global Technology Policy Council of the Association for Computing Machinery, I have been involved in exploring some of the issues with government use of facial recognition technology, both its use and its potential flaws. There have been a great number of concerns raised over the general use of this technology in policing and other government functions, often focused on whether the accuracy of these algorithms can have discriminatory affects. In the case of ID.me, there are other issues involved as well.

 . . .

To start with, there are a number of general concerns about the accuracy of facial recognition technologies and whether there are discriminatory biases in their accuracy. These have led the Association for Computing Machinery, among other organizations, to call for a moratorium on government use of facial recognition technology.

A study of commercial and academic facial recognition algorithms by the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that U.S. facial-matching algorithms generally have higher false positive rates for Asian and Black faces than for white faces, although recent results have improved. ID.me claims that there is no racial bias in its face-matching verification process.

There are many other conditions that can also cause inaccuracy—physical changes caused by illness or an accident, hair loss due to chemotherapy, color change due to aging, gender conversions and others. How any company, including ID.me, handles such situations is unclear, and this is one issue that has raised concerns. Imagine having a disfiguring accident and not being able to log into your medical insurance company’s website because of damage to your face.

 . . .

There are other issues that go beyond the question of just how well the algorithm works. As part of its process, ID.me collects a very large amount of personal information. It has a very long and difficult-to-read privacy policy, but essentially while ID.me doesn’t share most of the personal information, it does share various information about internet use and website visits with other partners. The nature of these exchanges is not immediately apparent.

So one question that arises is what level of information the company shares with the government, and whether the information can be used in tracking U.S. citizens between regulated boundaries that apply to government agencies. Privacy advocates on both the left and right have long opposed any form of a mandatory uniform government identification card. Does handing off the identification to a private company allow the government to essentially achieve this through subterfuge? It’s not difficult to imagine that some states—and maybe eventually the federal government—could insist on an identification from ID.me or one of its competitors to access government services, get medical coverage and even to vote.

 . . .

TOO MANY UNKNOWNS FOR COMFORT
Another issue is who audits ID.me for the security of its applications? While no one is accusing ID.me of bad practices, security researchers are worried about how the company may protect the incredible level of personal information it will end up with. Imagine a security breach that released the IRS information for millions of taxpayers. In the fast-changing world of cybersecurity, with threats ranging from individual hacking to international criminal activities, experts would like assurance that a company provided with so much personal information is using state-of-the-art security and keeping it up to date.

Much of the questioning of the IRS decision comes because these are early days for government use of private companies to provide biometric security, and some of the details are still not fully explained. Even if you grant that the IRS use of the technology is appropriately limited, this is potentially the start of what could quickly snowball to many government agencies using commercial facial recognition companies to get around regulations that were put in place specifically to rein in government powers.

The U.S. stands at the edge of a slippery slope, and while that doesn’t mean facial recognition technology shouldn’t be used at all, I believe it does mean that the government should put a lot more care and due diligence into exploring the terrain ahead before taking those critical first steps.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
James Hendler is a professor of computer, web and cognitive sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

 

 

[Randy W]

The latest from the IRS

Identity and Tax Return Verification Service

In some instances, you will need to verify your identity and tax return information with the IRS. This helps prevent an identity thief from getting your refund.

Who Must Use the Identity Verification Service

Use this service only if:

• you received a 5071C letter, 5747C letter, 6331C letter, or 5447C letter, or; 
• an IRS representative directed you to use it.

If you received a 4883C letter or a 6330C letter, follow the instructions on the letter. You can't use this online service.

What You Need to Verify Your Identity

To register and verify your identity, you need:

• Photo identification, if you don't have an existing ID.me account or IRS username

After You Verify Your Identity, You Must Verify Your Tax Return

You must answer IRS questions about your tax return after verifying your identity.

• You’ll need the Form 1040-series tax return for the year shown on the letter
• If you don’t see these questions after you verify your identity, come back to this page & sign in again

 

It seems like this is about the processing of 2021 returns. Mine is already complete, and I have been able to acquire transcripts of my 2021 return.

I have the IRS2Go app set up for the 2-factor authentication.

My IRS Account ist still available and accessible, so I guess I'll sit tight for now.

Edited July 21, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

I finally had to follow through on this earlier this year, since as of May, 2023 they are REQUIRING the use of ID.me to log in to the IRS account.

I had been concerned about the need for what they termed a "video call" and requiring a US cell phone, but it is actually more like an online video conference than a video phone call (no cell connection required). You simply present your ID (in my case, passsport and SS card) ti the agent at the other end. The lady was a little awkward in that she did not respond as she was typing into the computer, so I was unclear as to whether she heard me or not (most operators will say something like "Perfect" to acknowledge your response), but the session went without a hitch. I was even able to use my Chinese cell phone for the 2FA authorization during log in until they recently cut that off. I now use the ID.me authorization app for the 2FA.

I have found it important to track my IRS account to verify payments and that my return was processed, and also to be able to request transcripts online, rather than by mail.