IRS and ID.me name mismatch problem when trying to get my AGI from last year

This is actually a pretty common issue, so don't panic! There are several reasons why your name might not be matching up between systems, even if you've never changed it officially. The most likely culprit is a small discrepancy in how your name is formatted. For example, if your name is Robert James Smith, the IRS might have you as "Robert J Smith" while you entered "Robert James Smith" in ID.me. Or you might have a hyphen, apostrophe, or space in your name that's handled differently between systems. Sometimes it's even just a matter of a middle initial being included or excluded. You have a few options to resolve this: 1. Call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 and explain the situation. They can tell you exactly how your name appears in their system. 2. If you filed with your parents last year, ask them or their tax preparer if they have a copy of last year's return, which would show your name as the IRS has it. 3. Request a tax transcript by mail using Form 4506-T, which doesn't require online verification. 4. Visit a local IRS office in person (make an appointment first) and bring your photo ID. For your current return, if you can't get your previous AGI, you can enter "0" as your prior-year AGI when e-filing. It may cause a slight delay in processing, but your return won't be rejected for this reason.

I had a similar issue last year with ID.me and it was driving me crazy. After several failed attempts, I found this amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me get past this roadblock. What taxr.ai did was analyze my previous tax documents and help identify exactly what was causing the mismatch in the system. In my case, it turned out my middle name was abbreviated on my tax records but I was entering it in full on ID.me! They were able to show me exactly how my name appeared in previous filings and gave me the correct format to use. Their document analysis tool spotted the inconsistency right away, and they also helped me recover my AGI from the previous year without having to deal with the IRS phone system. Saved me hours of frustration and waiting on hold.

I actually tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and wow, it actually worked for me! I was having the exact same ID.me error and was ready to throw my laptop out the window. The service showed me that my last name has been appearing with a suffix in the IRS database (I'm a "III" but never use it on forms), which was causing the mismatch. Once I added the suffix in ID.me, I got right in! I was able to get my AGI and file my taxes within hours of hitting this roadblock. They also provided a detailed report showing other potential issues that might cause problems in the future. They even flagged that my address was formatted slightly differently with the USPS versus what I typically enter, which could have caused verification issues down the road. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck in this name verification loop.

Another solution worth trying is Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the exact same boat last year - couldn't access my IRS account because of some mysterious name mismatch that no one could explain to me. After getting nowhere for weeks, I used Claimyr to get through to an actual IRS agent. They have this system where they call the IRS for you and navigate the phone tree, then call you when an actual human is on the line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent was able to look at my account and tell me exactly what name format they had on file (turns out they had my first and middle name switched). Once I knew that, I could create my ID.me account correctly. Saved me so much frustration compared to calling and waiting on hold for hours.

OK I have to come back and eat my words. After being skeptical about Claimyr, I tried it yesterday out of desperation after spending two days trying to get through to the IRS myself. It actually worked exactly as described! They called me back in about 45 minutes with an IRS rep on the line. The agent confirmed that my first name was spelled with a variation I never use (I go by "Alex" but the IRS had me as "Alexander"). Once I knew the exact format, I was able to create my ID.me account successfully and access my transcripts. Problem solved in under an hour after spending days getting nowhere. I'm still shocked it worked so smoothly. The IRS rep even commented that they're seeing tons of these ID.me verification issues this filing season.

Have you tried going to the Social Security Administration office? Since this is a name mismatch between your ID and your social security record, they might be able to help clarify what's in their system. Bring your driver's license or other ID, and they can tell you exactly how your name appears in their database. Also, if you don't have your social security card, this would be a good time to request a replacement. Having the physical card is always helpful for these kinds of verification issues.

Another quick tip that worked for me: Try using ONLY your legal first name, middle initial with a period, and last name exactly as it appears on your social security card. No nicknames, no variations. For example, if your name is Jonathan Edward Smith but you go by Jon, make sure to enter "Jonathan E. Smith" in ID.me. Also, check for extra spaces! Sometimes people accidentally put two spaces between their first and last name or after their middle initial. The database is very picky about these things.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! The hyphenated last name is almost certainly your issue. Here's what finally worked for me: First, try entering your name in ID.me exactly as it appears on your most recent tax return if you have a copy. Even if your parents filed it, your name should appear consistently with how the IRS has it stored. If you don't have that, here are the variations to try with your hyphenated name: - With the hyphen: "Smith-Jones" - Without the hyphen but with a space: "Smith Jones" - Without the hyphen, no space: "SmithJones" - Sometimes they store it as two separate last names Also, make sure you're using your full legal first name, not a nickname. If your birth certificate says "Elizabeth" but you go by "Liz," use Elizabeth. The other thing that helped me was checking my credit report first - sometimes the way your name appears there matches how it's stored in government databases, since they often cross-reference the same sources. Don't panic about the deadline! You can always file for an extension if needed, and like someone else mentioned, you can enter "0" for prior year AGI if you absolutely can't retrieve it. The IRS would rather have your return with a small processing delay than not have it at all.

I went through this exact same issue a few months ago and it was incredibly frustrating! The ID.me error 6001 is definitely a name formatting mismatch between what you entered and what the IRS has on file. Since you mentioned you have a hyphenated last name, that's almost certainly the culprit. Government systems are notoriously inconsistent about how they handle special characters like hyphens. Some store them, others strip them out, and some replace them with spaces. Here's what I'd recommend trying first before calling anyone: 1. Try your name with the hyphen, without the hyphen (as one word), and with a space instead of the hyphen 2. Make sure you're using your full legal first name exactly as it appears on official documents, not any nicknames 3. Double-check that you're not accidentally adding extra spaces anywhere If those don't work, calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 is actually your best bet. Yes, the wait times are terrible, but they can verify your identity using other information and tell you exactly how your name appears in their system. I ended up having to do this and the agent was actually very helpful once I got through. Don't stress too much about the deadline - you can always file for an extension if needed, and entering "0" for prior year AGI won't prevent you from filing. The IRS deals with these verification issues constantly during tax season.