| The IRS is planning a series of actions this summer and fall to improve e-Services usability and to improve e-Services security. The result will be a better product that will better protect you and your clients. All e-Services users will be affected by these actions. To review these improvements, see “Important Information about Your e-Services Account” at the e-Services landing page, www.irs.gov/eservices. This is the first of two Quick Alerts. The second Quick Alert will focus on the planned e-Services outage schedule. Here’s an abbreviated overview.
There are three parts to this improvement effort:
1. Launching a new e-Services platform and landing page; As we move to a new e-Services program starting September 7, various products must be taken offline for us to complete the transition by September 12. (This is unrelated to the planned outage over Labor Day weekend.) Information about the outage is on IRS.gov/e-Services as well as in a companion Quick Alert #2.
2. Establishing a new e-Services user agreement;
In late October, you will be asked to review and accept the terms of a new user agreement. Please read this user agreement. Tax professionals using the services of certain intermediate service providers to access client transcripts will have additional requirements to meet.
3. Protecting e-Services accounts with our Secure Access authentication process.
Also in late October, all e-Services users must register through Secure Access authentication. Secure Access is a two-factor authentication process that will require returning users to enter their credentials (username and password) and a security code sent to the user. Also in late October, we will update the IRS2Go app with a new feature that will allow e-Services users to obtain the necessary security code through the app or via text to a mobile phone. Please go to “Important Information about Your e-Services Account” at the e-Services landing page, www.irs.gov/eservices, to see how these improvements will affect you. Again, all e-Services users will be affected by these actions.
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