Important Update about Your e-Services Account

[Abby Normal]

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/important-update-about-your-eservices-account

Revised Information for e-Services Users 02/06/2017

In an era of increasing cybercrimes, the IRS must strengthen the security around our online tools, including e-Services, to protect taxpayers. Between December 1 and December 16, the IRS mailed Letter 5903 to certain e-Services users who have access to sensitive data and asked them to revalidate their identities within 30 days, either online or by phone.  If you received Letter 5903 and did not revalidate your identity within the 30 day time frame, we have suspended your e-Services registration account for security purposes. You will be unable to access your e-Services registration account until you revalidate your identity with the e-Services Help Desk.

How will I know if access to my account was suspended?
If you attempt to use your username and password to access your e-Services registration account and it has been suspended, you will receive a generic error message asking you to contact the e-Services Help Desk.

How do I validate my identity through e-Services Help Desk?
You must have Letter 5903 when you call the e-Services Help Desk. It contains a unique security code that you must provide to the Help Desk assistor. You must provide the code from your letter and answer a series of identity-proofing questions to authenticate your identity. If you cannot authenticate yourself over the telephone, you will receive instructions to register through Get Transcript or visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center to verify your identity in person.

What documents do I need if I must go in person to a Taxpayer Assistance Center to revalidate?
First, if told you must identity proof in person, you must make an appointment to visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center by calling 844-545-5640.You must bring government-issued picture identification, such as a driver’s license, AND either a social security card or an original or certified embossed birth certificate. After you successfully revalidate your identity at a Taxpayer Assistance Center you will need to contact the e-Services Help Desk to have your e-Services registration account reinstated and your password reset.

What do I do if I did not receive a letter?
Letters were mailed to e-Services users who have accessed their e-Services account in the past year and who can access the Transcript Delivery System. Letters were mailed to the addresses we have on file for you.  If you have access to TDS and have been active in the past year, you should have received a letter by the end of December 2016. If you did not receive a letter and your e-Services registration account has been suspended, contact the e-Services Help Desk for assistance.
 

What do I do if I validated my identity but my account is suspended?
If you validated your identity, you need only call the Help Desk for a quick reinstatement and password reset.

How do I validate my identity online?
You can register through Get Transcript Online, which allows you to validate your identity through our identity authentication process called Secure Access. The purpose is solely to authenticate your identity. You must have an email address, knowledge of your most recently filed tax return and financial information from either a credit card or other loan numbers. You also must have a mobile phone in your name to complete the process in one session, or you must request an activation code by mail. Before you start, please review Secure Access: How to Register for Certain Online Self-Help Tools. If you successfully registered through Get Transcript online after January 28, 2017, you must call the e-Services Help Desk to have your e-Services registration account reinstated.

Important: Do not try to use your IRS Letter 5903 security code as your authorization code for Secure Access. The Letter 5903 security code is only for those who call the e-Services Help Desk; not for those validating their identities online.
 

What about the emails requesting e-Services account updates?
These are scams. Currently, there are several variations in circulation. One version seeks to capitalize on IRS efforts to strengthen e-Services. The IRS will not send you an email asking you to click on a link to update your account. These phishing scams that attempt to steal your e-Services credentials, are one reason the IRS is undertaking efforts to make the authentication process stronger.
 

I thought Secure Access for e-Services users was delayed?
At this time, our goal is to validate the identity of e-Services users who have access to taxpayer data using robust identity proofing techniques including Secure Access online or phone authentication with a unique security code sent to you by mail. We expect to fully implement the Secure Access identity authentication process for e-Services this year. Secure Access is a two-factor, or two-step, process that will require returning users to enter their username and password plus a security code sent by cell phone to access their accounts.