IP PIN & ID.me requirement

[garycarols]

Thanks, in advance, for your help . . . .

My husband and I have opted to use IP PINs the last couple of years.  Last year, I did NOT receive our IP PINs by late January, so started going down the ID.me process to update my IRS account.  The ID.me process failed--probably because of our slow internet connection.  We do not want an ID.me account now.  (Because my government responded to the COVID situation with senseless mandates, we really don't want our facial recognition, etc. data "out there" to be used for future punishments for our refusal-to-be-injected-with-unsafe-and-ineffective-vaccines.)  

Sorry for off-track-ness!  My question is:  Will we be able to continue to sign into the IRS using our "old" usernames and passwords, or will we be required to start a new ID.me account?  If we refuse to update to an ID.me account, will we have to snail-mail our returns to the IRS without an IP PIN?  (Assuming our IP PINs are not sent to us again this year.)   Again, thank you!

[DoninGA]

Yes, you can use your prior User ID and password for your IRS online account.

I have a User ID and password crested well before for the ID.me fiasco and it works fine. 

When accessing your account you will need to enter your User ID and Password.  Then the IRS will have verification number sent to you as a text to your cell phone or if you did not register a cell phone when originally creating your User ID it can be sent by a phone call.

[garycarols]

Thanks, DoninGA.  

Yes, I was able to get into my IRS account today using my "old" username & password.  Back in January, I had the feeling that an ID.me account would be required in the future to access my IRS account.  Any sense of whether or not an ID.me account will, in fact, be required before much longer?  

And if it IS required to obtain my annual IP PIN, can I revert back to filing by paper (--ugh!) without an IP PIN?

Again, thank you!

[DoninGA]

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@garycarols wrote:

Thanks, DoninGA.  

Yes, I was able to get into my IRS account today using my "old" username & password.  Back in January, I had the feeling that an ID.me account would be required in the future to access my IRS account.  Any sense of whether or not an ID.me account will, in fact, be required before much longer?  

And if it IS required to obtain my annual IP PIN, can I revert back to filing by paper (--ugh!) without an IP PIN?

Again, thank you!

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Personally I do not think that ID.me is going to be the only way to access a federal government account in the future.  There is to much push-back in Congress and from the public.

Even if you mail a tax return, the IP PIN is required to be entered on the Form 1040 page 2 in the signature block section of the form.

You should be able to retrieve your IP PIN from this IRS website - https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/retrieve-your-ip-pin

[fanfare]

If the IRS ever gets caught up, your paper filed return without the IP PIN will only experience the processing delay of filing without the IP PIN. I don't know if that would cause IRS to request Identity Verification for your refund.

(If you don't expect a refund, it doesn't matter.)

see also, IRS Statement:

"The IRS announced today that a new option in the agency’s authentication system is now available for taxpayers to sign up for IRS online accounts without the use of any biometric data, including facial recognition. "

Once you are on the IP PIN list, there is currently no way to get off.