Sign in to the government, once
Set up one government sign-in and use it at more than one agency, and keep the details somewhere safe.
Behind one government sign-in sit your tax records, your Social Security earnings record and the estimate of what you will be paid. It has three parts.
Federal services sit behind one of two sign-ins: Login.gov or ID.me. The IRS uses ID.me. Social Security takes either. Whichever you set up first, most other agencies will accept it, and the shape is the same either way.
Key points
- Sign in to a government service and use the code sent to your phone
- Set up one sign-in — Login.gov or ID.me — and use it at more than one agency
- Treat any urgent tax message as something to check by signing in yourself
What to remember
- The code is for the screen in front of you. Nobody genuine asks for it.
- Anything urgent by text is checked by signing in yourself.
Try this
If you already have a Login.gov or ID.me sign-in, write down which email address it uses and keep it with your other important papers.
Practice: Sign in to the government, once. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.