ID.me Verification Issues for Getting AGI - Anyone Else Struggling?

ID.me is a nightmare this year. Been through it twice. First attempt failed completely. Second time worked. Make sure all documents are clear. No glare on ID. Use a different browser. Try desktop instead of mobile. Sometimes their system just glitches.

I was racing against the April 15th deadline when ID.me kept rejecting my documents. Talk about a tax season panic attack! 😅 After my third failed attempt, I tried https://taxr.ai to see if there was another way to get my AGI. It actually helped me retrieve my AGI from last year's return without going through ID.me at all. Saved me from having to mail in my return or deal with more ID.me rejections. The site walked me through some alternative verification methods that worked with my existing IRS account.

My friend ended up trying exactly 6 times with ID.me before it finally worked. The 6th attempt was successful when she used her passport instead of driver's license, connected through a wired internet connection instead of WiFi, and used Chrome in incognito mode. It seems like their system is extremely finicky about image quality and connection stability. She waited 37 minutes in the video verification queue but finally got through yesterday.

It might be worth considering a direct call to the IRS, though that comes with its own challenges. I've personally found that using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) can potentially save hours of hold time when trying to reach an IRS representative. They essentially hold your place in line and call you back when an agent is available. If your friend has tried multiple times with ID.me without success, speaking directly with an IRS agent might help identify alternative verification methods or specific issues with her account.

Is your friend trying to get her AGI from her 2023 return filed this year, or her 2022 return from last year? According to IRS Publication 5227, if she's attempting to access her 2022 AGI for e-filing purposes but can't get through ID.me verification, she might be able to use $0 as her prior year AGI if this is her first time using the system. Has she tried that approach?

I went through this exact same issue last month. ID.me verification is like trying to get into Fort Knox with a library card - theoretically possible but practically maddening. What finally worked for me was doing the verification at a completely different time of day. Their system seems to get overloaded during peak hours (evenings and weekends). I tried at 6:30 AM on a Tuesday and got through immediately with the exact same documents that had been rejected three times before. Also, make sure your friend's name on her ID exactly matches what's on her tax return - even middle initials matter. If she got married/divorced and changed her name, that could be causing issues too.

Has your friend contacted ID.me support directly? Their verification team is separate from the IRS and might be able to help with specific errors she's getting.

Has your friend considered using the IRS Form 4506-T instead? It's the Request for Transcript of Tax Return form. Wouldn't that allow her to get her AGI without going through the ID.me process? She could fax it in and potentially get a response within 5-10 business days. Might be faster than continuing to battle with ID.me or mailing in a complete return.

I'd like to clarify something important here - there's a difference between accessing your tax transcript (which shows your AGI) and creating an IRS online account. While both use ID.me for verification, the requirements and processes can be slightly different. Is your friend trying to create an IRS online account for the first time, or is she an existing user trying to access her transcript? This distinction matters because existing users sometimes have different verification paths available.