iStock/ThinkstockIf you file your taxes directly on the IRS website, you will no longer be able to log in with just a username and password. Instead, you’ll be subjected to two-factor authentication.
“Two-factor authentication means you go through that as step one, and step two, you get a text message with a randomly generated number that you then have to input into the website,” explains ABC News Chief Business and Economics Correspondent Rebecca Jarvis. “That means no one is able to go out and just log into your account because they have your username and password.”
“This is another layer of security. This is something that a number of vendors have already employed. It might be something that you’ve already dealt with. But it’s a very useful way of making sure your account is more secure,” Jarvis says.
The IRS says this will significantly enhance protection against identity thieves who might pretend to be you and file taxes in a scheme to get a tax refund they don’t deserve.
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