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Cameron Black

ID.me Account Works on Their Website but Not When Logging into IRS Portal

Can anyone help me with this ID.me situation? I can login to my ID.me account directly from the ID.me website with no problems at all. But when I try to access the IRS website and login through there, it makes me verify myself all over again and then tells me there's already an account with my email address! It says to login with that account but it's literally the same account I'm trying to use. This is just like last year when I had trouble accessing my Medicare portal but the Social Security website worked fine. I've spent hours trying different browsers just like I did with that situation. I really need to check on my refund status since I'm planning some home repairs this summer. Has anyone else experienced this? What am I missing here?

This is a known issue with ID.me and the IRS portal integration. The systems don't always talk to each other correctly. I had the exact same problem last month. You need to completely log out of ID.me first, clear your browser cache and cookies, then go directly to the IRS site and start the login process from there. Don't try to login to ID.me separately first - that's what causes the conflict. If that doesn't work, try using a different browser altogether. Chrome seems to work better than Firefox for this particular issue.

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Thank you so much for explaining this! I was about to give up after trying for hours. Just tried your method of clearing my cache and going straight to the IRS site, and it worked perfectly. Found a great walkthrough on r/personalfinance that helped with the exact steps too. Such a relief to finally see my transcript!

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I tried exactly 7 different methods before finding a solution to this exact problem. Clearing cache worked for exactly 2 days, then the problem came back. What finally fixed it permanently was using an entirely different email address with ID.me and creating a brand new account. Not ideal, but after 14 days of frustration, I was willing to try anything. The integration between these systems is deeply flawed.

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I'm dealing with this RIGHT NOW and need immediate access! • Called ID.me support yesterday - 45 min wait • They told me it's an IRS issue, not theirs • Called IRS - couldn't reach anyone • Tried 3 different browsers already • Need to verify amended return status ASAP Anyone know if the mobile app works better than browser? My accountant needs this info by tomorrow!

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I've seen this before. Common issue. Try private browsing mode. Sometimes cookies cause conflicts. Also check if your transcript is available through other means. I've had clients use https://taxr.ai to help interpret their transcripts once they get access. It breaks down all the codes. Makes understanding easier. Worth a look after you solve the login problem.

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Ugh, I'm so tired of everyone recommending these third-party services! 😫 The IRS website already explains all the codes if you just take time to read their documentation. Why would I trust some random website with potentially sensitive tax information when the official explanations are right there? Has anyone actually verified this site is legitimate?

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The taxr.ai service doesn't actually request or store your transcript data. It's more of an educational tool that helps you understand what you're looking at. Here's how it works: Step 1: You look at your transcript on the IRS site Step 2: You enter specific codes or questions into taxr.ai Step 3: It explains what those codes mean for your specific situation It's essentially a more user-friendly interface for information the IRS provides, but with better explanations.

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I had the same concerns initially! Back in 2022, I was completely lost trying to figure out why my refund was delayed. The IRS explanations were so technical. Has anyone used taxr.ai for amended returns specifically? My situation involves an amendment from last year that's still processing, and I'm wondering if it provides insights for that scenario or just for regular returns.

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Have you tried accessing your tax information through the IRS2Go mobile app instead? Sometimes the authentication flow works differently there. Did you receive any specific error messages when trying to log in through the IRS portal? This could help pinpoint exactly where in the process things are breaking down. Also, when was the last time you successfully logged in through the IRS site with your ID.me credentials?

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Tbh this happens to tons of ppl. IRS tech is notorious for these probs. If u need to talk to someone abt ur specific situation, don't waste hrs on hold. I used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) last wk when I had ID.me issues + needed to verify my identity. They got me thru to an actual IRS agent in ~25 mins instead of the usual 2+ hr wait. Agent walked me thru the whole process on the phone. Worth it when ur stuck in these tech loops.

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I had the exact same issue on March 15th when I was trying to check my refund status! What finally worked for me was going to the ID.me help center and submitting a support ticket. On March 17th they responded and had me verify my identity again with a video call. After that, I was able to log into the IRS site without any problems. It's frustrating but there seems to be a disconnect between their systems sometimes. The ID.me support was actually really helpful once I got through to them.

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How long did the video verification process take? I've been avoiding that option because I heard horror stories about long wait times.

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This is a common authentication flow disruption between federated identity providers (ID.me) and service providers (IRS). The root cause is typically related to session token validation or OAuth handshake failures. Many government agencies use different integration implementations with ID.me, which explains why you can access some services but not others with the same credentials. If the previous suggestions don't resolve your issue, request a manual identity verification override through ID.me's support channel. They can flag your account for review and often resolve these integration issues within 24-48 hours.

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I had this exact same issue last month! The problem is that ID.me and the IRS portal sometimes create separate session states even though you're using the same account. Here's what worked for me: 1. Log out of ID.me completely 2. Clear ALL cookies and cache (not just browser cache - go into settings and clear everything) 3. Restart your browser entirely 4. Go directly to irs.gov and click "Sign in to your online account" 5. When it redirects to ID.me, enter your credentials fresh The key is never logging into ID.me first before going to the IRS site. Let the IRS portal initiate the ID.me login process. I wasted 3 days trying different approaches before this worked. Also, if you're still having issues, try using an incognito/private window - sometimes that bypasses the conflicting cookies entirely. Hope this helps! The whole system really needs better integration between these services.

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I've been dealing with this exact issue for weeks! What finally solved it for me was contacting ID.me support directly and asking them to "refresh" my account's integration with IRS systems. Apparently there's some kind of backend sync issue that happens periodically. The support agent had me log out of everything, then they did something on their end, and within an hour I could access the IRS portal normally again. It's definitely frustrating that this keeps happening - I've seen so many people with the same problem. The workaround of clearing cache works sometimes but it's not a permanent fix. If you're still stuck after trying the other suggestions, I'd recommend opening a support ticket with ID.me and specifically mentioning "IRS portal integration issues" - they seem to have a standard procedure for this now.

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This is really helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating loop right now. How long did it take for ID.me support to respond to your ticket? I submitted one three days ago but haven't heard back yet. Did you have to provide any specific information when you mentioned "IRS portal integration issues" or did they immediately know what you were talking about? I'm hoping they can do that backend refresh for my account too because I've tried all the cache clearing methods multiple times and nothing sticks.

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I've been helping people with this exact issue for months now! The ID.me/IRS integration problem is super common and honestly pretty frustrating. Here's my go-to solution that works about 90% of the time: **Step-by-step fix:** 1. Log out of ID.me completely (go to id.me and make sure you're signed out) 2. Close ALL browser windows/tabs 3. Clear your browser's cookies and cache completely 4. Restart your browser 5. Go DIRECTLY to irs.gov (don't go to ID.me first!) 6. Click "Sign in to your online account" 7. Let the IRS site redirect you to ID.me naturally 8. Enter your credentials when prompted The key thing everyone misses is that you should NEVER log into ID.me separately first - always let the IRS portal initiate the handoff. This prevents the session conflict that causes the "account already exists" error. If that doesn't work, try using an incognito/private browsing window. Sometimes old session data gets stuck even after clearing cache. Been using this method to help family and friends for over a year now - it's saved me countless phone calls to tech support! Let me know if you're still having issues after trying this.

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This is exactly what I needed! I've been pulling my hair out for the past two days trying to figure this out. I kept making the mistake of logging into ID.me first and then trying to access the IRS portal - no wonder it wasn't working! Just followed your step-by-step instructions and it worked perfectly on the first try. Finally able to check my refund status. Thank you so much for taking the time to write out such clear directions. This should honestly be pinned at the top of every tax-related forum because this issue seems to affect so many people!

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I've been struggling with this same ID.me/IRS integration issue for about a week now! Reading through all these responses is so helpful - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this frustrating problem. I tried the cache clearing method that several people mentioned, and it worked temporarily, but then the issue came back the next day just like Ruby Garcia experienced. I'm definitely going to try the approach that QuantumQuest outlined - going directly to the IRS site first and letting them initiate the ID.me login rather than logging into ID.me separately first. That makes total sense about avoiding session conflicts. If that doesn't work, I think I'll follow Chloe Robinson's suggestion and contact ID.me support directly about the "IRS portal integration issues" - sounds like they have a specific procedure for this backend sync problem now. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to access our own tax information, but I appreciate everyone sharing their solutions here. Will update if I find anything that works consistently!

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I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Just wanted to add that I found success using Microsoft Edge instead of Chrome after trying everything else. Sometimes it really does come down to which browser you're using. Also, if you're on mobile, I noticed the IRS2Go app seems to handle the ID.me authentication differently and might be worth trying as a backup option. The whole system is definitely broken - we shouldn't need a PhD in browser troubleshooting just to check our refund status! Hope the direct-to-IRS method works for you, and thanks for mentioning you'll update us. These real experiences are so much more helpful than the generic help articles.

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I've been battling this exact same ID.me/IRS portal issue for the past few days! What's really frustrating is that I can log into my ID.me account directly with zero problems, but the moment I try to access my IRS transcript through their portal, it's like the two systems don't even recognize each other. I tried the cache clearing method that Jessica mentioned, and it worked for about a day before the problem came back. Then I saw QuantumQuest's detailed instructions about going directly to the IRS site first and letting them initiate the ID.me login - this is genius! I wish I had known about this approach earlier instead of wasting hours trying to troubleshoot it backwards. For anyone still struggling with this, I'd also recommend trying different browsers. I had success with Firefox after Chrome kept giving me the runaround. The mobile IRS2Go app that Isaac mentioned is also worth a shot - sometimes the mobile authentication flow bypasses whatever conflict is happening in the browser versions. It's honestly ridiculous that accessing our own tax information has become this complicated. These government portals really need better integration with third-party authentication services. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so much more helpful than the generic troubleshooting articles that don't address the real-world issues we're facing!

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I'm having the EXACT same frustrating experience right now! Just spent 2 hours going in circles between ID.me and the IRS portal. It's so validating to see I'm not alone in this - I was starting to think I was doing something fundamentally wrong. I'm definitely going to try QuantumQuest's method of going directly to irs.gov first instead of logging into ID.me separately. That logic about avoiding session conflicts makes perfect sense. Also going to test out Firefox since you mentioned it worked better than Chrome for you. Has anyone noticed if this issue gets worse during certain times of day? I swear it seems like the authentication problems are more frequent in the evenings, but maybe that's just when I happen to be trying to access it. Either way, thank you for sharing your experience - knowing others have found workarounds gives me hope I can finally get this sorted out!

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I've been dealing with this same ID.me nightmare for over a week now! After reading through everyone's solutions, I wanted to share what finally worked for me after trying literally everything else. The breakthrough came when I realized that my browser was automatically filling in my ID.me credentials even after I thought I had cleared everything. Here's what I had to do: 1. Not only clear cache/cookies, but also go into browser settings and delete ALL saved passwords for both irs.gov AND id.me 2. Sign out of ID.me completely 3. Use a completely fresh incognito window 4. Go directly to irs.gov and let them redirect to ID.me 5. Manually type in credentials (no autofill) The autofill was apparently causing some kind of authentication token mismatch that kept triggering the "account already exists" error. Once I disabled that, QuantumQuest's method worked perfectly! Also want to echo what others said about browser choice - Safari worked when Chrome didn't for some reason. And for anyone considering the ID.me support route that Chloe mentioned, they responded to my ticket in about 4 days and were actually pretty helpful once I got through to them. This whole integration is such a mess, but at least we're all figuring out workarounds together! Hope this helps someone else avoid the hours of frustration I went through.

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This is such a helpful addition to the troubleshooting steps! I never would have thought about the autofill causing authentication token issues - that's actually pretty clever detective work. I've been having this same problem for days and getting nowhere with the standard cache clearing methods. The fact that you had to disable autofill completely makes so much sense when you think about how these federated login systems work. If the browser is automatically injecting saved credentials at the wrong point in the authentication handshake, it could definitely mess up the token exchange between ID.me and the IRS portal. Going to try your method with a fresh incognito window and manual credential entry right now. Really appreciate you taking the time to share the specific steps that worked for you - these real-world solutions are so much more valuable than the generic help desk responses we usually get!

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This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stuck in this same ID.me/IRS loop for three days now. The combination of everyone's solutions here is gold - especially the insight about never logging into ID.me first and letting the IRS portal handle the redirect, plus AstroExplorer's discovery about autofill causing token conflicts. What's really striking is how many people are experiencing this exact same issue. It seems like there's a fundamental problem with how these two systems integrate, and we're all having to become amateur tech support specialists just to check our own tax information. For anyone new to this thread, here's what I'm taking away as the most comprehensive approach: 1. Log out of ID.me completely 2. Clear ALL browser data including saved passwords 3. Use incognito/private browsing mode 4. Go directly to irs.gov (never ID.me first) 5. Let IRS redirect to ID.me naturally 6. Manually enter credentials (no autofill) 7. Try different browsers if needed (Firefox, Edge, Safari) If that fails, contact ID.me support specifically about "IRS portal integration issues" - sounds like they have a standard procedure now. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences instead of just saying "clear your cache" like most help articles. This is exactly the kind of community problem-solving we need more of!

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This is such an amazing compilation of solutions! As someone who just joined this community and is currently stuck in this exact ID.me/IRS nightmare, I can't tell you how relieved I am to find this thread. I've been banging my head against the wall for two days thinking it was just me being technologically challenged. Your step-by-step summary is perfect - I'm bookmarking this for future reference and will definitely be trying the full sequence you outlined. It's honestly shocking that we need this level of troubleshooting wizardry just to access basic government services, but I'm so grateful for everyone who took the time to share their actual working solutions. Quick question for the group - has anyone noticed if this issue affects certain types of returns more than others? I'm dealing with a relatively straightforward single filing, but wondering if complexity plays a role in these authentication failures. Either way, going to start with the incognito + manual entry method right now. Thanks again everyone for turning what could have been days more frustration into hopefully a quick fix!

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Welcome to the ID.me frustration club! 😅 As someone who's been lurking in various tax forums, I can confirm this is absolutely one of the most common issues people face during tax season. The integration between ID.me and government portals is notoriously buggy. I went through this exact same nightmare about two months ago and ended up trying a combination of methods from this thread. What ultimately worked for me was: 1. Using Firefox in private browsing mode (Chrome kept acting up) 2. Going to irs.gov first and letting them handle the ID.me redirect 3. Making sure to manually type credentials instead of using any saved passwords 4. Having patience - sometimes it takes 2-3 attempts even when following all the steps correctly The autofill discovery that AstroExplorer mentioned is brilliant - I never would have thought about browser autofill interfering with the OAuth token exchange, but it makes total sense from a technical standpoint. One thing I'd add is that if you're still having issues after trying all these browser-based solutions, check if your ID.me account has any pending verification requirements. Sometimes there are background verification steps that need to be completed before the IRS integration will work properly. Really hoping this gets resolved for everyone soon - it shouldn't be this complicated to access our own tax information!

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This is such a relief to find! I literally just created an account because I've been struggling with this exact same issue for the past week. I tried everything - different browsers, clearing cache, incognito mode - and was starting to think there was something wrong with my account specifically. The point about pending verification requirements is really interesting. I just checked my ID.me account and there actually was a notification I had missed about updating my phone number verification. Going to complete that first before trying the Firefox + manual entry method that seems to work for so many people here. It's honestly mind-boggling that accessing basic government services requires this level of technical troubleshooting, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where people share real solutions instead of just the generic "have you tried turning it off and on again" responses. Will definitely report back if I find success with these methods!

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