1 · What it is and what you need
Your IRS online account is your personal portal: see what you owe, make payments, download transcripts, and handle tasks without phone calls or lines. To open it, the IRS uses an identity verifier called ID.me.
Have ready: an email address you can access, your cell phone, and a photo ID.
If you have an SSN: use the fast self-service path (Step 2) or the video call (Step 3).
If you have an ITIN: you can open an account too. In ID.me, when asked for an SSN, check “Continue by entering your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)”. ITIN verification is normally completed with documents and a video call.
2 · Path A — Self-service (about 10 minutes)
You need: a government photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport, or passport card), your SSN, and a phone with a camera.
- Go to www.irs.gov/account and choose “Sign in to your online account” → “ID.me — Create an account”.
- Enter your email, create a strong password, and confirm it with the link or code ID.me sends to your inbox.
- Turn on two-step verification: a code sent by text to your cell phone.
- Choose “Self-Service” and photograph the front and back of your ID. Good light, no glare, all four corners visible.
- Take the video selfie when prompted; it matches your face to your ID photo.
- Enter your SSN and confirm your name, date of birth, and address.
- Agree to share your verified identity with the IRS (the “Allow” button). Done!
3 · Path B — Video call with an agent
Documents to prepare (choose one combination): two primary documents — passport (a valid foreign passport works), driver’s license, state ID, permanent resident card, or work permit (EAD) — or one primary + two secondary — Social Security card, birth certificate, utility bill, bank statement, pay stub, or W-2 showing your name and address.
- Upload photos of your documents first, when prompted.
- Join the video-call queue. Don’t close the window; in some cases you can schedule the call for later.
- Keep your original physical documents with you: the agent will ask you to show both sides on camera.
- Find good lighting, stable internet, and a quiet spot. You can request the call in Spanish.
- The agent confirms your identity and tells you you’re done.
4 · The confirmation email and your authorization
- ID.me sends you a confirmation email that your identity was verified. Check spam too.
- Return to the IRS screen (or go back to www.irs.gov/account) and sign in with your ID.me email and password.
- The first time, the system asks you to authorize ID.me to share your information with the IRS: click “Allow”. That makes you officially authorized.
5 · Once authorized: how you sign in every time
- Go to www.irs.gov/account → “Sign in to your online account”.
- Choose “Sign in with ID.me”: email and password.
- Enter the 6-digit code sent to your phone.
- You land on your dashboard: balance, payments, records and transcripts, and your profile.
6 · Everything you can do with your account
- See what you owe by year, with up-to-date penalties and interest.
- Pay from your bank account (free) or card, and view 5 years of payment history.
- Request and modify a payment plan (full guide).
- Download transcripts of your return, account, and wages (W-2/1099) — useful for immigration matters, loans, and home buying.
- View digital copies of IRS letters and respond to certain notices online.
- Get your IP PIN identity-protection number (also for your dependents).
- Open your child’s Trump Account (guide here).
- Approve authorizations for your tax preparer to represent you before the IRS.
- Look up your prior-year AGI and update your address and language preference (Spanish available!).
7 · Frequently asked questions
Official resources
Stuck on a step? You don’t have to figure it out alone
At Toro Taxes we walk you through it, in English or Spanish — and we also help with your ITIN application. Visit us in Warr Acres (inside Supermercados Morelos) or in south Oklahoma City.