IRS online account basics in 60 seconds
The IRS online account is the IRS’s own self-service portal. There are three versions: the Individual Account for your personal return, the Business Tax Account for businesses, and the Tax Pro Account for tax professionals. One Login.gov or ID.me sign-in opens all three, as long as you qualify for each.
Getting in is a two-part process. First you create a sign-in account with Login.gov or ID.me, the two identity providers the IRS uses. Then you verify your identity with that provider. You only verify once, which is why the first visit takes longer than every visit after it.
This guide covers which sign-in to pick, exactly what to have ready, what you can do once you are in, how the business and tax pro versions work, and what to do when verification fails.
You need only one Login.gov or ID.me account for every IRS service. Switch providers only when verification fails with the first one, which is exactly what the IRS recommends. And if you already have a Login.gov account from another agency, expect the IRS to ask you to verify your identity again the first time you use it there.
ID.me or Login.gov: which sign-in to use
Login.gov is the U.S. government’s sign-in service, maintained by the government. ID.me is a private sector sign-in provider used by government and non-government sites. The IRS says both meet federal security standards and both work for IRS.gov.
For most people with a Social Security number, either one works. The IRS steers three groups to ID.me: people with an ITIN, people who live outside the U.S., and people without a smartphone or tablet that has a camera.
| Requirement | Login.gov | ID.me |
|---|---|---|
| Taxpayer ID | SSN only | SSN or ITIN |
| Password | At least 12 characters | At least 8 characters |
| Photo ID | Driver’s license, state ID or U.S. passport book or card | Driver’s license, state ID, passport or passport card |
| Other | Phone or tablet camera (not a webcam); U.S. phone or mailing address | Multifactor authentication |
| IRS says choose it if | None of the ID.me cases apply | You have an ITIN, live abroad or lack a camera phone |
Both require a personal email address and an authentication method such as an authentication app, face or fingerprint recognition, or a cell phone with texting.
What you need to create an IRS account
Gather everything before you start. The IRS tells new users to have photo identification ready, and identity verification is where most first attempts stall.
- Your Social Security number, or your ITIN if you will use ID.me.
- A personal email address.
- A valid government photo ID: driver’s license, state ID, or passport (U.S. passport book or card for Login.gov).
- A way to receive a second factor: an authentication app, face or fingerprint recognition, or a cell phone that receives texts.
- For Login.gov: a smartphone or tablet with a camera (a webcam will not work) and a U.S. phone number or mailing address.
- Be 18 or older. The IRS does not let anyone younger create an account.
How to create an IRS account, step by step
The steps are nearly identical for both providers. You start from the IRS service you want, not from the provider’s website, so the IRS knows where to send you after verification.
- On IRS.gov, select the account or service you need (for example, Individual Account).
- Select the sign in or create account button, then select Login.gov or ID.me.
- Create the sign-in account: email, password and your second-factor method. ID.me calls this account a wallet.
- Verify your identity with the provider: scan or photograph your ID and confirm your SSN (or ITIN with ID.me).
- With ID.me, choose self-service verification (ID.me says it usually takes 5 to 10 minutes) or a short video call after uploading your ID.
- Return to IRS.gov. You verify once; later visits only need your password and second factor.
Not sure you already have an account? Try to create one.
The IRS says the best way to check is to start creating a new account. If one already exists, Login.gov or ID.me will tell you, and you can reset the password instead of ending up with two.
What you can do in the IRS Individual Online Account
The Individual Account covers your personal Form 1040 account. Here is what the IRS currently lists, grouped the way the account itself is organized.
| Area | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Balance | See what you owe the IRS by tax year |
| Payments | Pay same day or schedule up to 365 days ahead from a bank account; cancel before the date |
| Payment history | Up to 5 years, including estimated tax payments, plus pending and scheduled payments |
| Payment plans | Apply for a plan, view or revise an existing one, or set one up for tax you expect to owe this year |
| Tax records | Key return data including AGI, transcripts and a tax compliance report |
| Information returns | Forms W-2 and certain 1099s the IRS has received |
| Status | Refund or amended return status; audit status for certain audits by mail |
| Notices | Digital copies of IRS notices |
| Profile | Go paperless for certain notices, get email alerts, get an IP PIN |
| Authorizations | View lender requests; approve and e-sign POA and TIA from your tax pro |
| Forms | Complete, sign and submit select IRS forms, including Form 4547 |
Per the IRS FAQ, you can make up to 3 payments a day, each up to $9,999,999.99, and downloading or printing transcripts is free.
For the record-pulling side, see how to get IRS tax transcripts and which one you need. To lock your SSN against fraudulent returns, the profile page is the fastest place to get an IRS Identity Protection PIN. If you are waiting on money, our IRS refunds FAQ covers timing, offsets and delays.
Spouses, joint returns and what the account will not show
Each spouse has a separate account. For returns you filed jointly, both of you see the balance, payments and tax records. For years not yet filed, each spouse sees only their own information, and information returns such as W-2s show only in the account of the person they were issued to.
Nobody else gets in. The IRS says only the taxpayer should sign in, you cannot authorize someone else to use your account, and IRS customer service representatives cannot see your online account either. A balance is accurate as of the moment you sign in and can change once a new return posts or an adjustment lands.
Worked example
Worked example: a couple making estimated payments
- September: Spouse A pays a $5,000 estimated payment from their own account (illustrative amount)
- Shows for Spouse A
- Same week: Spouse B signs in to check what has been paid
- Does not show for Spouse B
- Following spring: the couple files a joint return
- Joint return posts
- After filing: either spouse reviews that year
- Both see the joint records
This follows the IRS online account FAQ on joint filers. Before filing, add up both spouses’ payment histories so the return claims every estimated payment. Educational, not individualized tax advice.
IRS Business Tax Account: who can use it
The Business Tax Account is the business version, signed in with the same Login.gov or ID.me account. What you see depends on your role. A Designated Official (an officer or partner who meets the IRS tests) gets full access; partners and shareholders with a Schedule K-1 get a limited view of their own years.
Full access shows the business profile, balance by year, payments (including federal tax deposits), transcripts, tax compliance reports, IRS notices and letters, and third-party transcript requests through the Income Verification Express Service. It also lets you download a digital CP575 EIN verification notice, which the IRS accepts in place of the CP575A to J series and Letter 147C.
| Who you are | Access |
|---|---|
| Sole proprietor with an EIN, filing Schedule C or F | Full |
| LLC filing as a sole proprietor (Schedule C or F) | Not available yet |
| General partner or managing partner of the LLC | Full, as Designated Official |
| Partner with a Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) | Limited, tax years 2012 to 2023 |
| S corp or C corp officer on W-2 payroll who can bind the company | Full, as Designated Official |
| S corp shareholder with a Schedule K-1 (Form 1120-S) | Limited, tax years 2006 to 2023 |
A corporate Designated Official must be an officer or managing member, a current employee with a W-2 for the most recent filing year, and authorized to legally bind the entity. The role must be renewed every year during a 6-week renewal period.
Need the EIN itself, or lost the original confirmation? Start with how to get an EIN and find a lost one.
IRS Tax Pro Account and authorizing your tax professional
The Tax Pro Account is the professional side. Anyone can use it to request a tax information authorization (TIA), but only attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents, enrolled actuaries and enrolled retirement plan agents can request a power of attorney (POA). Requests currently cover individuals, and they are processed in real time without paper forms.
For you as the taxpayer, this is the right way to let a professional see your account. Your preparer submits the request, then you sign in to your Individual Account and approve it under Authorizations. The IRS lets the professional submit the request before you even have an online account; you approve it once you create one. Your address on IRS records must be in a U.S. state or D.C. and match what the professional enters.
| Days | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | From 6 a.m. Monday to 9 p.m. Saturday |
| Sunday | 10 a.m. to midnight |
The IRS notes the system is occasionally down for maintenance.
A new authorization can replace an old one
Approving a new POA or TIA in Tax Pro Account revokes any prior authorization for the same tax matters, periods and type. If you want an existing representative kept, the IRS says that requires Form 2848 or 8821 with the retention box checked.
If you cannot verify your identity
Start with the provider’s help center, then try the other provider. The IRS says that if verification fails with one, you should try the other. Each also offers an alternate route.
- ID.me: choose the video call method, where you upload your document and then join a short video call.
- Login.gov: in-person verification at a participating Post Office exists, but Login.gov says it is available only for some partner agencies. If it is offered during your IRS sign-up, bring a driver’s license or state ID (passports are not accepted in person).
- Living abroad with an SSN, or using an ITIN: ID.me has a dedicated help path for each, and the IRS points both groups to ID.me.
- Get your information without signing in: on the IRS sign-in page, use the link of that name below the Login.gov and ID.me buttons.
- Records and payments still work offline: request an account transcript by mail, file Form 4506-T, or make a guest payment through IRS Direct Pay without signing in.
| Error | What it means and what to do |
|---|---|
| EC 6000 | A security condition blocks access. Select view your alternatives on the error page. |
| EC 6001 | Your name does not match SSA records. Update your name with ID.me. |
| EC 6101 | You verified without an SSN or ITIN. The IRS requires one. |
Got a letter asking you to verify your identity and return?
A different service handles this. If the IRS sent you a CP5071 series notice or Letter 5447C, use the IRS “Verify your identity and return” service, which uses the same Login.gov or ID.me sign-in. Have the notice and a copy of the return for that year ready. If you did not file a return, use the same service to tell the IRS, because someone may have filed with your information.
After you verify, the IRS says to wait 2 to 3 weeks before checking your refund, and processing can take up to 9 weeks. If you are under 18, the IRS asks you to contact it instead of using the online service.
Keeping the account safe
Use a strong password you do not use anywhere else, and never share your sign-in with anyone, including a family member or preparer. If you think you were scammed or your information was stolen, sign in, change your password and report it to the IRS.
The IRS will not text or email you a sign-in link
The IRS says it never calls, emails or texts asking you to provide information or to sign in to get a transcript or update your profile. Treat any message like that as a scam, go to IRS.gov directly, and report the message to the IRS.
What to check before you act
A practical review sequence for the return, books, or planning file.
Decide on one provider: Login.gov with an SSN and a camera phone, or ID.me if you have an ITIN, live abroad or lack a camera device.
Have your SSN or ITIN, photo ID, personal email and second-factor method ready before you start.
Start from the IRS account you need on IRS.gov, not from the provider’s site.
Check your balance, payment history and notices once a quarter, and keep watching your mail.
Request an IP PIN from your profile page.
Approve your tax professional through Authorizations instead of sharing your password.
Ignore any call, email or text asking you to sign in, and report it.
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Common mistakes
The shortcuts most likely to produce a confident but wrong answer.
Opening a second sign-in account
You only need one. If you are not sure you have an account, start creating one; the provider will tell you if it exists so you can reset the password.
Sharing your login with a preparer or relative
The IRS says only the taxpayer should sign in. A tax pro gets access the right way through a POA or TIA request that you approve under Authorizations.
Clicking a sign-in link from a text or email
The IRS never contacts you asking you to sign in to get a transcript or update your profile. Go to IRS.gov yourself.
Treating a zero balance as final
The balance is accurate as of the moment you sign in. A return that has not posted yet or a later adjustment can change it.
Going paperless and ignoring the mailbox
Only select notices appear online, and some must be mailed by law. A missed mailed notice still starts its deadlines.
Expecting a Schedule C LLC to have a Business Tax Account
The IRS says the Business Tax Account is not yet available for LLCs that file as sole proprietors on Schedule C or F.
Sending a screenshot of a tax compliance report
The IRS says to share the original downloaded PDF, which carries the digital certificate. Screenshots, scans and print-to-PDF copies are not the authenticated document.