How to access your IRS account

The IRS is notoriously behind the times in many ways, from its reliance on fax machines for communication to its extremely slow processing times (exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic).

One somewhat modern feature available is online access to your IRS account.

From your account, you can access a range of information, including the following:

• Current balance due
• Payment history and payment plans
• Summary of your most recently filed return
• Economic Impact Payments (EIP, or stimulus payments)
• Advance Child Tax Credit (ACTC) payments
• Transcripts, which include tax filings, third-party income reports, and records of your IRS account (more on the types of transcripts and how to read them later)
• Some notices and letters (if you opt in to have these delivered to you electronically)
• Authorizations of third-party access to your account (more on this later)

If you don’t already have an IRS account, you can create one here. You will need an official photo identification (e.g., driver license or passport). You also need to use a device that has a camera or webcam to verify yourself during the application.