TAP RECOMMENDATION
ID 2528
Instead of requesting PII to verify the caller, the IRS should request the PTIN and or EFIN of the tax professional if they have a POA on file.
Justification:
The IRS can confirm that the tax professional has a POA on uploaded into their tax professional account.
ID 2528
Not Adopted.
As part of the effort to combat identity theft, the IRS began requesting personal information from tax professionals or anyone accessing tax related information via Form 2848 or Form 8821. The purpose is to confirm the identification of the person calling prior to releasing sensitive information.
Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) that staff the toll-free lines do not have the ability to view or access documents tax professionals have uploaded to their Tax Pro online account.
The Centralized Authorizations File Number is not associated with the Power of Attorney or Taxpayer Information Authorization holders’ personnel information. Not all Tax Professionals file returns electronically or are preparers who have obtained a PTIN/EFIN, as this is not required.
TAP RECOMMENDATION
ID 2529
Create validation of the person via a text for Multifactor Authentication (MFA) to ensure you are speaking to the correct person.
Justification:
Ensure that there is confidentiality for the taxpayer and tax professional by not requesting PII and allow verification via other means.
ID 2529
Under Consideration
While the use of SMS/text- based MFA can be used to validate that an individual who previously completed identity verification has possession of a known cellular device, the IRS is currently limited to SMS-based MFA for providing online access to taxpayers and tax practitioners who have digital identity credentials and completed the identity verification process.
The IRS is conducting market research to identify potential technology solutions that enable additional authentication options for taxpayers and tax practitioners who use the non-digital IRS service delivery channels, which may include the option for IRS to issue and validate secure MFA tokens during the telephone authentication process for individuals with digital identity credentials who contact the IRS toll-free customer assistance phone lines for assistance.
The IRS will consider this recommendation and determine the feasibility once the market research is complete in FY 2025.
