On Monday, February 7, the IRS announced it will transition away from using a third-party service for facial recognition to help authenticate people creating new online accounts. This transition will occur over the coming weeks in order to prevent larger disruptions to taxpayers during filing season.
During this transition, the IRS will quickly develop and bring online an additional authentication process that doesn’t involve facial recognition.
“The IRS takes taxpayer privacy and security seriously, and we understand the concerns that have been raised,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement. “Everyone should feel comfortable with how their personal information is secured, and we are quickly pursuing short-term options that do not involve facial recognition.”
This transition won’t interfere with taxpayer’s ability to file their returns or pay taxes owed. During this period, the IRS will continue to accept tax filings, and it has no impact on the current tax season. Taxpayers should continue to file their taxes as they normally would.
Contact the tax and accounting professionals at KRD if you have any questions.
