Get ready for tax season using IRS Online Account

Notice: Historical Content


This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current law, policies or procedures.

IR-2021-36, February 11, 2021

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers they can securely access their IRS account information through their individual online account.

The IRS regularly adds features to online account. For example, people can now check the amounts of their Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) to help them accurately calculate any Recovery Rebate Credit they may be eligible for on their 2020 tax return. The EIP amounts can be found on the Tax Records tab. Amounts will show as "Economic Impact Payment" for the first payment and "Additional Economic Impact Payment" for the second payment. For married filing joint individuals, each spouse will need to sign into their own account to retrieve their portion of the payments. For more information regarding the credit, see Recovery Rebate Credit. Additionally, taxpayers can view:

  • The amount they owe, updated for the current calendar day
  • Their balance details by year
  • Their payment history and any scheduled or pending payments
  • Key information from their most recent tax return
  • Details about their payment plan, if they have one
  • Digital copies of select notices or letters from the IRS (under the Message Center tab)

They can also:

  • Make a payment online
  • See payment plan options and request a plan via Online Payment Agreement
  • Access their tax records via Get Transcript

Later in 2021, taxpayers will be able to digitally sign certain authorization forms, such as a power of attorney, initiated by their tax professional.

Here's how to get started for new users:

  1. Select View Your Account at IRS.gov homepage
  2. Select the "Create or View Your Account" button
  3. Click "Create Account"
  4. Pass "Secure Access" authentication. This is a rigorous process to verify that the taxpayers are who they say they are. They must be able to authenticate their identity to continue. See IRS.gov/secureaccess for details.
  5. Create a profile.

Once the initial authentication process is complete, returning users can use the same username and password to access other IRS online services such as Get Transcript and Get An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) (if applicable).

All password-protected online IRS tools for taxpayers are protected by multi-factor authentication, offering extra security precautions.