Some senators urge the IRS to reconsider how it currently verifies people’s identities, even as it attempts to expand its free online tax preparation service. These politicians want the IRS to develop alternative methods for taxpayers to confirm their identity because they believe that the present approach, which uses ID.me, may be too restrictive for many filers.

Currently, the IRS is piloting its Direct File program in 12 states, which allows individuals to file their taxes for free. The Treasury Department recently announced that this test run, which started for the 2023 tax season, will be significantly expanded.

Direct Make will reach twice as many people by the 2024 tax season when individuals in 24 states would be able to utilize it to file their returns. More people will be able to use it because this larger rollout is also intended to address more complex tax difficulties.

According to the Treasury Department, over 30 million taxpayers will be able to file their 2024 taxes using Direct File. Offering a free substitute for tax preparation services like TurboTax and H&R Block, which are operated by businesses like Intuit, is the project’s aim.

For instance, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that by increasing eligibility and tripling the number of participating states, this initiative might save Americans tens of millions of dollars in filing fees this upcoming tax season. The Biden-Harris Administration’s objective of reducing expenses for American families would be aided by this.

The possible drawbacks of the IRS s verification system

Some legislators, such as Senators Elizabeth Warren (D., Massachusetts), Ron Wyden (D., Oregon), and Representative Katie Porter (D., California), are concerned about the procedure taxpayers must go through in order to use Direct File, despite the program’s expansion.

The three congressmen questioned the use of ID.me as the primary identity verification method but endorsed Direct File in a letter to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel and Treasury Secretary Yellen.

They claimed that there has been much discussion concerning the system’s use of face recognition technology because people are concerned about how effectively it performs, particularly when it comes to identifying members of underrepresented groups.

The MPs stated in their letter that some taxpayers may find it more difficult to verify their names if ID.me is required.

They claimed that those who stand to gain the most from Direct File, such as low-income taxpayers seeking tax credits and other advantages, are primarily impacted by this issue. “For taxpayers who most need Direct File to receive tax benefits, forcing them to use ID.me is adding another point of failure,” wrote Warren, Wyden, and Porter.

An ID.me spokesman defended the technology, stating that their face recognition algorithm has been tried extensively and has proven to be 99+% effective across all tested populations. However, the IRS has not commented on the senators’ letters. The spokesman added that for those who choose not to use facial recognition, ID.me offers alternative methods of identification verification, such as video chat.

The IRS selected ID.me for its Direct File program because it is the only service that satisfies the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) level.

This standard ensures that identity verification techniques are extremely secure. However, since company tax preparation services were subject to less stringent regulations, members of Congress questioned why such stringent oversight was necessary.

They expressed their disapproval of the IRS’s perceived double standard in a letter. According to them, corporate tax preparation services ought to be held to the same standards as Direct File if the likelihood of fraud and identity theft is significant enough to require rigorous verification.

The IRS should reconsider whether Direct File customers need to go through the more challenging verification procedure if private organizations do not believe the threat is significant enough to warrant such measures.

The MPs have requested that the IRS reply by October 21 with details regarding any new verification techniques the agency may consider implementing for upcoming tax seasons. Additionally, they expressed concern about the ease of use of ID.me and whether corporate tax preparation services ought to be subject to the same identity verification requirements as Direct File users.

This need for less stringent verification is a component of a broader debate concerning how to strike a balance between security and accessibility in government initiatives, particularly those that assist the poor and vulnerable.

These lawmakers aim to make the Direct File program easier to use for the people it is intended to assist while maintaining essential protection against identity theft by searching for alternative methods of proving their identities.