IRS Online Account: How to Create and Use One From Abroad
You can create an IRS online account from abroad by signing in through ID.me, the sign-in service the IRS uses, as long as you’re 18 or older and have a Social Security Number or ITIN. The IRS confirms the account works with an international address. From outside the U.S., you choose ID.me’s international option, upload two identity documents, confirm your foreign address, and complete a video call available in more than 240 languages. Once you’re in, you can check your balance, make payments, download transcripts, and read IRS notices from anywhere.
Your account shows the IRS side of your taxes, and Greenback’s accountants handle the rest, from your return to your FBAR. For who has to file and what you report from abroad, see our guides to U.S. expat taxes and why U.S. citizens abroad pay U.S. taxes.
What Is an IRS Online Account?
An IRS online account is the IRS’s secure portal for individual taxpayers, where you can see what the IRS has on record for you and take care of most account tasks without calling or writing. It shows returns you’ve already filed, and you still prepare and file each return separately.
According to the IRS online account page, you can:
- View your balance by tax year
- Make same-day payments or schedule them up to 365 days ahead
- View up to five years of payment history, including estimated payments
- Apply for or revise a payment plan
- See your adjusted gross income, transcripts, W-2s, and certain 1099s
- Check the status of your refund or amended return
- Read digital IRS notices and go paperless
- Get an Identity Protection PIN
- Approve and e-sign your tax professional’s power of attorney
- Download a tax compliance report or submit Form 4547 for a Trump Account
Who Can Use an IRS Online Account?
Any individual taxpayer who is 18 or older and has an SSN or ITIN can use an IRS online account, in the U.S. or abroad. What you see depends on what you file:
- U.S. citizens abroad: the full account works with a foreign address, though some IRS letters still arrive by mail.
- Resident aliens: green card holders and people who meet the substantial presence test, including many H-1B visa holders, use it like citizens. See our guide to resident alien tax obligations.
- ITIN holders and nonresident aliens: you can verify with an ITIN, but the IRS says filers of forms other than Form 1040 use Form 4506-T for transcripts. If you file Form 1040-NR, our guides to nonresident alien taxation and dual-status years cover the rules.
- Joint filers: each spouse needs their own account. You both see jointly filed returns, but only your own W-2s and 1099s.
What Do You Need to Create an IRS Online Account From Abroad?
You need an SSN or ITIN, a personal email address, a way to receive sign-in codes, and two identity documents. Gather these first:
| Item | What works from abroad |
|---|---|
| SSN or ITIN | Either one. ID.me has a path for SSN holders abroad and an ITIN path |
| Email and password | A personal email and a password of at least 8 characters |
| Sign-in codes | An international phone number works. If texts or calls fail, use a passkey |
| Identity documents | Two primary documents, such as a passport and a national ID card, or one primary plus one secondary document |
| Proof of address | A document showing your foreign address, if ID.me asks |
| Originals | The original documents for the video call. Copies and photos aren’t accepted |
How Do You Create an IRS Online Account From Abroad?
You create the account in 9 steps: start at IRS.gov, set up an ID.me Wallet, choose the international option, upload your documents, join a video call, and consent to share your information with the IRS.
- Start at the IRS: go to the IRS online account page and choose to sign in or create an account.
- Create your ID.me Wallet: enter your email, confirm it, and set a password. The IRS and ID.me help page explains each screen.
- Add your sign-in method: an international number, an authenticator app, or a passkey.
- Choose the international option: select “I don’t live in the United States, or I don’t have the above documents,” then “Get started.”
- Enter your foreign address: pick your country under current address.
- Enter your SSN or ITIN: use the number on your tax return.
- Upload your documents: photograph or upload the documents you selected.
- Join the video call: wait for the next agent or schedule a call. An interpreter can join if you prefer another language.
- Consent and return: select Allow to share your information, and you’re sent back to IRS.gov signed in.
What If ID.me Verification Fails?
If verification fails, the error code on the IRS account help page tells you which fix to use:
- EC 6001 (name doesn’t match Social Security records): update your name on ID.me or with the Social Security Administration. Our guide to why the IRS says your information doesn’t match walks through it.
- EC 6101 (verified without an SSN or ITIN): add your SSN or ITIN to ID.me, or apply for an ITIN with Form W-7.
- EC 6000 (security condition): the IRS has placed a hold on online access. If you also received a letter, see our guides to Letter 5071C and CP5071.
- Lost your sign-in method: follow ID.me’s steps to reset multifactor authentication.
- Can’t sign in at all? Try ID.me’s sign-in fixes, or get your records without an account through our guide to IRS transcripts from abroad.
How Do You Use Your IRS Online Account From Abroad?
From abroad, you can use your IRS online account to pay, set up a payment plan, download transcripts, read notices, get an IP PIN, and approve your accountant. Here’s each task, with the Greenback guide that covers it:
- Check your balance: see what you owe by year and your estimated tax payments.
- Pay from abroad: pay from a bank account in the account, or see how electronic payments work without paper checks.
- Set up a payment plan: see our guides to Form 9465 installment agreements and the IRS tax debt help tool.
- Download a transcript: IRS “Get Transcript” works in the account, and our guide to IRS code 570 explains a common refund hold.
- Find your W-2s and 1099s: useful if a form was never sent to you. See taxes without a W-2.
- Track a refund or amended return: see tax refunds for Americans abroad, direct deposit and amended returns.
- Read IRS notices: see how to respond to an IRS notice from abroad, plus CP14 and CP53E.
- Check an audit by mail: only correspondence audits appear. See IRS tax audits.
- Get an IP PIN: through the IRS IP PIN tool. See our Identity Protection PIN guide.
- Approve your accountant: e-sign a Form 2848 power of attorney.
- Download a tax compliance report: see our tax compliance report guide.
- Elect a Trump Account: submit Form 4547. See Trump Accounts for families abroad.
- Chat with the IRS: the IRS FAQ says account chat is currently limited to taxpayers with a balance due. See IRS live chat and IRS help if you live abroad.
- Keep your address current: see notifying the IRS when you move abroad, and for the return itself, filing without a U.S. address.
What Doesn’t Your IRS Online Account Show?
Your account doesn’t show your FBAR, how your exclusion or credit was calculated, your treaty positions, or your state return. It shows results, such as your balance and AGI, without the choices behind them:
- FBAR: your FBAR on FinCEN Form 114 goes to FinCEN, so it never appears, and the account won’t warn you about FBAR penalties. Form 8938 detail isn’t broken out either.
- Exclusion or credit: it won’t show whether the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or the Foreign Tax Credit suited you better. Our FEIE vs. FTC comparison explains the choice and the physical presence and bona fide residence tests.
- Treaties and foreign companies: tax treaty positions and Form 5471 or Form 8865 details aren’t displayed.
- Deadlines: it doesn’t flag the automatic June 15 filing date for Americans abroad. See U.S. tax deadlines for expats.
How Does Greenback Help When the Account Isn’t Enough?
Greenback’s accountants pick up where your IRS online account stops, from your FBAR to the FEIE vs. FTC choice between the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the Foreign Tax Credit. You approve your accountant’s Form 2848 in your account, and for returns Greenback prepared, your accountant helps you answer IRS letters.
- Sign up and get matched with a CPA or IRS Enrolled Agent, who reaches out within one business day.
- Complete your questionnaire in Greenback’s secure portal, and get your draft and invoice typically 10 to 14 business days after your documents are in.
- Review, then pay: ask questions, approve your draft, and your accountant e-files it, along with your FBAR if you’ve added it.
Greenback helps Americans living abroad and dual-status filers.
Frequently Asked Questions about the IRS Online Account
Yes. Americans living abroad can create an IRS online account through ID.me if they are 18 or older and have a Social Security Number or ITIN. The IRS confirms the account can be used with an international address. ID.me’s path for people outside the United States uses document uploads and a video call to verify identity.
Yes. Each spouse needs a separate IRS online account. Joint filers can each see the balance, payments, and records for returns they filed jointly, but W-2s and 1099s appear only in the account of the person they were issued to.
No. ID.me can verify you with a non-U.S. passport, but the IRS requires a Social Security Number or ITIN for online account access and shows error EC 6101 without one. Taxpayers who need an ITIN apply with Form W-7.
Yes. Taxpayers with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number can create an IRS online account by verifying with ID.me using the ITIN in place of a Social Security Number. ID.me has a separate verification path for ITIN holders, which ends with a video call.
No. The FBAR is filed with FinCEN, a separate Treasury bureau, so it never appears in your IRS online account. The account also doesn’t show Form 8938 details or how your Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or Foreign Tax Credit was calculated.
Your IRS Online Account Works From Abroad Once ID.me Verifies You
Once you’re verified, you can see your balance, payments, and records from anywhere in the world. What the account can’t do is prepare your return, file your FBAR, or tell you whether the exclusion or the credit lowers your bill. That’s the part a Greenback accountant takes off your plate:
- Your federal return, prepared and filed by a CPA or IRS Enrolled Agent with deep expertise in expat taxes
- Your FBAR and FATCA reporting, filed alongside it
- Your IRS letters answered for any return Greenback prepares
You review your draft and ask questions before you pay anything. Start with our federal tax return preparation, or ask our Customer Champions first. Either way, your U.S. taxes get handled correctly, wherever you live.
What Your IRS Account Doesn’t Show.
The information in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax rules and IRS procedures change frequently. Consult a qualified tax professional regarding your specific situation before taking any action.
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