The Internal Revenue Service will require taxpayers to take selfies and verify their identities through ID.me to access online accounts starting this summer.
Currently, existing accounts only need an email and password to get access, which the IRS says is risky. That system will phase out by mid-2022 as the IRS moves to protect taxpayers from identity theft.
But privacy advocates are opposing the move, stating that the company running ID.me has been unreliable in verifying identities.
Those in opposition, like the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, also expressed fears of information being easily hacked, leaked or misused.
An IRS spokesperson said that Americans are not obligated to take selfies or make an ID.me account to file their tax returns.
“The IRS emphasizes taxpayers can pay or file their taxes without submitting a selfie or other information to a third-party identity verification company,” the agency said in a statement. “Tax payments can be made from a bank account, by credit card or by other means without the use of facial recognition technology or registering for an account.”
But other services — like records of previous payments, access to wage transcripts, and access to the Child Tax Credit Update portal — require use of ID.me. Other tools will transition to use the platform over the next year.
The 12-year-old Virginia-based company ID.me has become the government’s default ID-verification system over the course of the pandemic.
It’s secured over $200 million in venture funding and contracts with 27 states.
Those who had already registered on IRS.gov need to provide a government ID, a copy of a utility bill, and a selfie.
Copyright 2022 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.
—-
This content is published through a licensing agreement with Acquire Media using its NewsEdge technology.
“Currently, existing accounts only need an email and password to get access, which the IRS says is risky.” Despite the fact that multitudes of web sites use that very method.
Practically every site i go to, JUST USES a user name and password….
If Americans are smart they will never utilize this marxist system. Once they are allowed into your homes they have been given authority by you to enter whenever and however they want. BEWARE!!!!!
Yet, the left doesn’t want Voter ID’s. Such a bunch of hypocrites.
When i first saw news of this over the weekend on Fox’s ‘scroll news’ bar, i was like “SO HOW IS IT photo id/facial recognition can be used HERE< but PHOTO ID FOR voting is 'EEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL"
“The Internal Revenue Service will require taxpayers to take selfies and verify their identities through ID.me to access online accounts starting this summer.”
But the treasonous, socialist Democrat Party is fighting with all they have to prevent voter ID requirement to vote.
Even though 80% of all of the U.S. citizens agree and want voter ID requirement.
The treasonous Democrat Party wants all elections to be controlled by a newly Created national voter commission and automatic voter registration. This new voter commission will have control over all State and federal elections and be ran by a
NON-Elected Democrat Party’s appointment.
Gee.. Once that the treasonous, dishonest, destructive, corrupt, unethical, socialist Democrat Party has complete control over all elections.
Then they will be honest and fair elections… 🙁 🙁 🙁 ……. NOT!!!!!
This has got to stop, and stop now! The IRS needs to be disbanded and replaced. They are now empowered as a federal weapon used against the citizens of this country.
WHICH IS WHY i favor, abolishing them, and just making a FLAT 10% tax for ALL..
NO DEDUCTIONS
No loopholes
NO Credits
NADA.