Has anyone heard about this "IRS Account Facial Recognition coming"

[jeffmcpa2010]

I saw this news article yesterday. 

This is surely not going to be helpful with getting a lot of my clients to sign up for any online access.

Beginning in summer 2022, users who need to log on to the IRS' website to access the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, check online accounts, get their tax transcript, receive an Identity Protection PIN or view an online payment agreement will need to create an account with identity verification company ID.me. 

Existing online accounts, which currently only require a simple email and password to access, will no longer work beginning this summer, the IRS said. At that point, users will be required to create an account with ID.me. 

"Identity verification is critical to protect taxpayers and their information," IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement. "The IRS has been working hard to make improvements in this area, and this new verification process is designed to make IRS online applications as secure as possible for people."

The IRS has stressed that individuals will not actually be required to go through ID.me or use facial-recognition software to submit their tax returns. But taxpayers will still be forced to use this software in order to take advantage of some of the IRS' most basic tools. The agency is already urging taxpayers to create accounts "as soon as possible."

ID.me describes itself as a technology provider that offers secure identity verification by comparing a photo ID provided by users with a video selfie. It was launched in 2010 by military veteran Blake Hall and has quickly solidified its place in the identity-verification business, often on behalf of the U.S. government. Additional IRS tools will begin using ID.me verification "over the next year," the IRS said.

Users must provide ID.me with an email address, Social Security number, photo ID and take a selfie with a camera that will scan the user's face to verify their identity.

Presumably some of the " Additional IRS tools that will begin using ID.me verification "over the next year" would include our access, PTIN renewal and/or Efin update?

[dascpa]

It's designed for millennials only... If I can't get my clients to sign up the normal way, or get me the the proper info, or pay their estimates, or do just about anything right, I don't see this happening.  There will be too much pushback about privacy.

[IRonMaN]

This year they are going to need to see your face.  Next year they are going to need to see your DNA sample.

[Jim-from-Ohio]

I registered for myself a few days ago and the system was already asking for the facial recognition upload. 

[sjrcpa]

It is going to apply to us professionals who use eservices, too.

I can't see very many of  my clients jumping thru these hoops to set up an account.

I'm waiting til summer to set up mine.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

I havent attempted it yet either. I like the idea of facial recog, the less logins and passwords I have to keep track of, the better!

[Hillenburg]

Finally, a chance to " moon " the Fed Gov't. 

[jeffmcpa2010]

I guess I will need to familiarize myself with form W-12, to renew my PTIN next year. 

Of course, Pro-Series may read this and think it's such a good idea they make it mandatory too!

[sjrcpa]

I have it on my phone and a bunch of the apps use it, too.

One COVID problem - it doesn't recognize me with a mask on.

[jeffmcpa2010]

Your obviously much younger and more adaptable than I!

[sjrcpa]

It was easy to set up on the iphone. They walked you thru it step by step.

There's a passcode, too for the mask situation.

I doubt I'm younger than you.

[abctax55]

Soooooo - curious minds and all.... what happens when one gets a face lift ?  🤣😋

I haven't attempted yet (and I have an android) so we shall see how convoluted it really is.  But I *know* a large segment of my client base couldn't handle it if their lives were dependent on it.

I find it really interesting that it is (so I've heard..) also going to be required to make payments on-line.  I'm not quite sure why such security is needed when one is SENDING money to the IRS.  I'm sure more devious minds than mine have figured out a scam involving money moving that direction.

[Frustrated-in-IL]

You still need the logins and the passwords.  This is just to set up the account.  It is time consuming and I don't see the vast majority of my clients doing it.  I tried to do it myself and gave up.  The one client that did do it spent over an hour on it only to find out it couldn't verify her identity.

The old system was already a pain.  This will make things much worse.  So for those who don't remember if they got the stimulus, or how much they got for the advanced kid credit, I will explain to them that I will put down zero and we will let IRS figure it out.  More work for them but hey, they created the problem (yes, I know my clients should keep good records but we all know that does not happen).  Given the system that was already in place seemed to be working fine (I am sure if there were issues it would have been all over the news), turning the verification over to an outside business seems like a recipe for disaster with someone else now having personal information.