IRS alerts practitioners of e-Services account suspensions

[Elrod]

The IRS announced on Monday that as of Sunday it has suspended the e-Services accounts of users who failed to verify their identities in accordance with letters sent out in December. Practitioners can reinstate a suspended account by re-registering and revalidating their identity.

The IRS said that it mailed letters between Dec. 1 and 16 to those users who had been active on their accounts in the past year and who had access to the Transcript Delivery System. These e-Services users had 30 days to verify their identities as part of the IRS’s increased effort to secure the e-Services program and better protect taxpayer data.

http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2017/feb/irs-account-suspensions-for-failing-to-re-register-201715977.html

[Roberts]

Holy cow their system is horrific.

[Lion EA]

Yep, I couldn't do it the regular way, because the IRS said that AT&T said my cell is not in my name.  AT&T said it is; the bill is in my name; my name displays when I call someone.  I had to wait for something in the mail.  That only let me do that Get My Transcript thing.  I couldn't identify myself via telephone, because i get no 1099s/W-2s in my name/SSN (name/EIN plus one that always has a typo, different typo every year, but always a typo).  Was on the wait list for an appointment at an IRS center in a distant town.  e-Services still rejects me.  It's on my to-do list, but who has time now?!  Just hope I can get through without needing e-Services.

[TaxmannEA]

I went through the process when I originally got the letter. Couldn't get  through on line, so I called the number and was verified there. Now I'm evidently suspended. The IRS representative assured me that all was OK at the time. Why can't they even deal with their own procedures?

[SaraEA]

I too had to verify by phone because the online process wouldn't work, and I too was told I was good to go.  I have gotten into eservices since so assume everything is okay.  BUT, they never asked me for my cell phone number, and I thought to get in from now on you need two-factor authentication (code sent to your cell everytime you log in).  Did they ask you for cell info?

[TaxmannEA]

No, they did not. I even asked about that but I was assured that it was not required at that time. I think I got a temp.