WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service announced today the launch of an
online application that will assist taxpayers with straightforward balance
inquiries in a safe, easy and convenient way.
This new and secure tool, available on IRS.gov
allows taxpayers to view their IRS account balance, which will include the
amount they owe for tax, penalties and interest. Taxpayers may also continue to
take advantage of the various online payment
options available by accessing any of the payment features including:
direct pay, pay by card and Online Payment Agreement. As part of the IRS vision
for the future taxpayer experience, the IRS anticipates that other capabilities
will continue to be added to this platform as they are developed and tested.
“This new tool is part of the IRS’s commitment to improve and expand
taxpayer services by providing additional online taxpayer options,” said IRS
Commissioner John Koskinen. “The new ‘balance due’ feature, paired with the
existing online payment options, will increase the availability of self-service
interactions with the IRS. This will give taxpayers another way to take care of
their tax obligations in a fast and secure manner.”
Before accessing the tool, taxpayers must authenticate their identities
through the rigorous Secure Access process. This is a two-step authentication
process, which means returning users must have their credentials (username and
password) plus a security code sent as a text to their mobile phones.
Taxpayers who have registered using Secure Access for Get Transcript Online
or Get an IP PIN may use their same username and password. To register for the
first time, taxpayers must have an email address, a text-enabled mobile phone
in the user's name and specific financial information, such as a credit card
number or specific loan numbers. Taxpayers may review the Secure
Access process prior to starting registration.
As part of the security process to authenticate taxpayers, the IRS will send
verification, activation or security codes via email and text. The IRS warns
taxpayers that it will not initiate contact via text or email asking for log-in
information or personal data. The IRS texts and emails will only contain
one-time codes.
In addition to this new functionality, the IRS continues to provide several
self-service tools
and helpful resources available on IRS.gov for individuals, businesses and tax
professionals.
No comments:
Post a Comment