Starting this summer the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxpayers who go online to access their accounts or pay taxes will be required to submit to facial recognition as a security precaution. The IRS has contracted with a third-party facial recognition company called ID.me to provide the service. Enrollment with ID.me will require submission of a valid government-issued ID, or a copy of a utility bill, and a ”selfie” taken with your mobile phone or webcam. The company then uses facial recognition software to assess whether an individual’s self-submitted image and official photo match before allowing access to records.
According to a report in the Washington Post, many taxpayers are already using the system as they prepare to file their tax returns, attempt to make estimated tax payments or try to peruse other records that can be accessed online. ID.me says about 70 million Americans who have filed for unemployment insurance, pandemic assistance grants, child tax credit payments or other services already have been scanned.
The IRS says it will stop accepting previously created online accounts this summer and require everyone to use newer accounts verified through ID.me.
We will continue to follow the IRS facial recognition transition as it develops. For additional information on this and other tax topics, please contact Gray, Gray & Gray at (781) 407-0300.