This summer, the IRS will require people to use a selfie to access certain online information.
The security feature will be needed to access several different services:
People who have a current IRS account will be prompted to upgrade to the new security service, ID.me.
However, they will not need to provide a selfie to file their tax returns, the agency says.
"Identity verification is critical to protect taxpayers and their information. The IRS has been working hard to make improvements in this area, and this new verification process is designed to make IRS online applications as secure as possible for people," IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in a statement. "To help taxpayers and the tax community, we are improving the accessibility of online tools that help families manage their Child Tax Credit, check on their IRS accounts and securely perform other routine tasks online."
According to CNET, people have reported having problems verifying their identity through ID.me. In those cases, people can verify their identity on a video call with an "ID.me Trusted Referee."
