Logging Into IRS.gov

[Boris]

Hi,

I used to be able to simply log in to www.irs.gov, using an id (not an
email), and a password, in order to make payments, see history, etc.

Now, I can't get in the usual way. It seems like I have to get an "ID.me"
account, whereby I need to use my smartphone to take a picture and upload
either my passport or driver's license.

Is this new? Does the old simple way still work?

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[Bob Sandler]

>I used to be able to simply log in to www.irs.gov, using an id (not an
>email), and a password, in order to make payments, see history, etc.
>
>Now, I can't get in the usual way. It seems like I have to get an "ID.me"
>account, whereby I need to use my smartphone to take a picture and upload
>either my passport or driver's license.
>
>Is this new? Does the old simple way still work?

It's relatively new. It started about a year and a half ago.
There was a period of overlap when both the old and new ways
worked, but now the old way does not work anymore. But
setting up ID.me is a one-time exercise. Once you do it,
signing in to your account is as simple as it used to be.

Bob Sandler

[Adam H. Kerman]

Boris <nos...@invalid.com> wrote:

>I used to be able to simply log in to www.irs.gov, using an id (not an
>email), and a password, in order to make payments, see history, etc.

>Now, I can't get in the usual way. It seems like I have to get an "ID.me"
>account, whereby I need to use my smartphone to take a picture and upload
>either my passport or driver's license.

>Is this new? Does the old simple way still work?

When I file 990-N on behalf of specific nonprofits, I have a choice of
using login.gov. Upon submitting the notice, I have to log out of both
the IRS system and the login.gov system separately.

login.gov is available for use with filing a limited number of notices.
It was supposed to be expanded to more IRS filing systems but that's not
happening any time soon.

To notify Dun & Bradstreet of address changes of businesses, I had to
photograph my picture ID and my face. This is going to become more and
more common.

I look forward to Big Brother requiring cheek swaps to analyze DNA to
make positive identification.

[Stan Brown]

On Wed, 17 Jan 2024 11:30:39 EST, Boris wrote:

> I used to be able to simply log in to www.irs.gov, using an id (not an
> email), and a password, in order to make payments, see history, etc.

Yup, me too. It was simple, and it came with 2-factor authentication
if I recall correctly, so the need for the new system is not clear to
me.

> Now, I can't get in the usual way. It seems like I have to get an "ID.me"
> account, whereby I need to use my smartphone to take a picture and upload
> either my passport or driver's license.
>
> Is this new? Does the old simple way still work?

The old way does not work, or at least it didn't for me when I tried
it out of curiosity in the first week of this year, using the
credentials that had worked in September. It didn't say my
credentials were wrong, but rather something to the effect that that
form of sign-in was no longer accepted and ID.me was required.

This has been coming for a while. Some time around the middle of last
year, when it was still optional, I started to set up an ID.me
account, but it failed verification on the photo part. I gave up
because it was still optional -- then.

On 2023-12-28 I got a letter 4869C saying that the old account could
no longer be used, and I would _have_ to create an ID.me account, but
the letter also said that service would not be available till 2024-
01-08 because of weeks-long system maintenance. That made the timing
pretty tight for getting my final 2023 estimated tax payment in. But
fortunately whatever had glitched last year was fixed. (And the
system had saved the information I'd already entered, so I could just
edit rather than starting from scratch.)

The process took me under an hour, using my web browser _and_ a
smartphone with photo and video capability. An option exists for live
help from a person, but I suspect the wait time would be long.

And after I'd gone through that, the _only_ service that was working
was making an online payment. It was not possible to see the status
of my account, look at past tax returns, etc. There were menu links
for a bunch of things, but every one said the service wasn't
available.

This is what happens when the Republicans in Congress get their way
and starve the IRS of funds. The CBO found that giving the IRS more
money would reduce the deficit because tax collection would be more
efficient and more tax cheats would be caught. But the Republican
Party doesn't want more tax cheats to be caught, and we can all guess
why.

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

[Boris]

"Adam H. Kerman" <a...@chinet.com> wrote in news:uo99f1$25qut$1@dont-
email.me:

> Boris <nos...@invalid.com> wrote:
>
>>I used to be able to simply log in to www.irs.gov, using an id (not an
>>email), and a password, in order to make payments, see history, etc.
>
>>Now, I can't get in the usual way. It seems like I have to get an
"ID.me"
>>account, whereby I need to use my smartphone to take a picture and
upload
>>either my passport or driver's license.
>
>>Is this new? Does the old simple way still work?
>
> When I file 990-N on behalf of specific nonprofits, I have a choice of
> using login.gov. Upon submitting the notice, I have to log out of both
> the IRS system and the login.gov system separately.
>
> login.gov is available for use with filing a limited number of notices.
> It was supposed to be expanded to more IRS filing systems but that's
not
> happening any time soon.
>
> To notify Dun & Bradstreet of address changes of businesses, I had to
> photograph my picture ID and my face. This is going to become more and
> more common.
>
> I look forward to Big Brother requiring cheek swaps to analyze DNA to
> make positive identification.
>

I share your attitude. I started to apply for the ID.me, but when it got
to asking for my passport, etc., I bugged out. I only used irs.gov to
pay taxes. I may just mail in vouchers. Don't know yet.

So, did you get an ID.me?

[Boris]

Stan Brown <the_sta...@fastmail.fm> wrote in
news:MPG.4011dfe49...@news.individual.net:

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which is 274 pages, allocated $79.4
billion to the IRS. The Fiscal Reduction Act of 2023 rescinded $1.4
billion, leaving the IRS $78.0 billion, much of which has nothing to do
with enforcement.

https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2023/12/would-increased-funding-for-the-irs-nar
row-the-tax-gap

At any rate, it's estimated by the Congressional Budget Office that the
$80 billion in additional funding will bring in $180 billion in taxes,
for a net of $100 billion, over 10 years, to help reduce the deficit.
Big deal. Not much when compared to today's deficit of $509 billion,
and especially the national debt of $34 trillion, both of which will be
much larger 10 years from now. The debt is more important to reduce.

The Inflation Reduction Act was just window dressing, which only
increases government employment.

Neither political party cares one bit about fiscal responsibility.
After all, it's not their money.

[Stuart O. Bronstein]

Boris <nos...@invalid.com> wrote in
news:XnsB0FEC9E52A461...@135.181.20.170:

Since Reagan brought in trickle-down economics, deficits have been
reduced under Democratic presidents and increased under Republican
presidents. That's not not caring a bit.


--
Stu
http://DownToEarthLawyer.com

[Adam H. Kerman]

Boris <nos...@invalid.com> wrote:

>Adam H. Kerman <a...@chinet.com> wrote:
>>Boris <nos...@invalid.com> wrote:

>>>I used to be able to simply log in to www.irs.gov, using an id (not an
>>>email), and a password, in order to make payments, see history, etc.

>>>Now, I can't get in the usual way. It seems like I have to get an
>>>"ID.me" account, whereby I need to use my smartphone to take a picture
>>>and upload either my passport or driver's license.

>>>Is this new? Does the old simple way still work?

>>When I file 990-N on behalf of specific nonprofits, I have a choice of
>>using login.gov. Upon submitting the notice, I have to log out of both
>>the IRS system and the login.gov system separately.

>>login.gov is available for use with filing a limited number of notices.
>>It was supposed to be expanded to more IRS filing systems but that's
>>not happening any time soon.

>>To notify Dun & Bradstreet of address changes of businesses, I had to
>>photograph my picture ID and my face. This is going to become more and
>>more common.

>>I look forward to Big Brother requiring cheek swaps to analyze DNA to
>>make positive identification.

>I share your attitude. I started to apply for the ID.me, but when it got
>to asking for my passport, etc., I bugged out. I only used irs.gov to
>pay taxes. I may just mail in vouchers. Don't know yet.

>So, did you get an ID.me?

You mean to identify myself to Dun & Bradstreet? Hm. I don't recall who
their third-party contractor was.

With IRS, on the handful of electronic filings that accept use of login.gov
for identification process, it's been less intrusive than ID.me.