The agency backed off the use of facial recognition to verify the identifies who those seeking to open IRS accounts, following opposition from Congressional members from both political parties.

Taxpayers can still choose to utilize facial recognition based on photos they have taken of themselves via the use of ID.me’s self-assistance tool.  However, new requirements are being established to ensure taxpayer-provided images are deleted for the account being created. All previously collected biometric data for previously created accounts will be permanently delete over the next few weeks.

These methods are considered short-term for this year’s filing system as the IRS rolls out Login.Gov as its authentication tool.. The General Services Administration is working with the IRS to set security standards and scale required for use of Login.Gov, with plans to introduce that tool after this season’s filing deadline.

Bob Scott

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Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.  Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He  has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that.  A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind