How to Get the Official IRS Mobile App
The IRS mobile app is free and available for Apple and Android devices.
Rather than searching for an app and choosing the first result that appears, start with the official IRS app information page.
This is especially important because an IRS account can contain highly sensitive information.
The IRS specifically warns taxpayers to be cautious about look-alike apps, advertisements and unsolicited messages that claim to provide access to IRS accounts.
Be Careful With Fake IRS Messages
An official IRS app does not make every tax-related message you receive legitimate.
Scammers can still send emails, texts, advertisements and other messages designed to look official.
The IRS says it will not ask taxpayers to provide sensitive personal or financial information through an unsolicited text message, email or pop-up.
If a message tells you to click a link to access your tax account, don’t assume the link is legitimate simply because it uses the IRS name or logo.
Instead, independently go to the official IRS website or open the verified IRS app.
Does the IRS App Replace IRS.gov?
No.
This is probably the most important limitation to understand.
The IRS says the mobile app initially extends selected Individual Online Account services to mobile devices.
IRS.gov remains the agency’s comprehensive source for federal tax information, forms, guidance, tools and services.
The full Individual Online Account also remains available through IRS.gov.
The same is true for the Business Tax Account and Tax Pro Account. Those services continue through the IRS website rather than being replaced by the new consumer mobile app.
Telephone and in-person IRS assistance also remain available for issues that cannot be resolved through self-service.
Think of the IRS app as a convenient mobile doorway into frequently used individual tax-account functions—not as a replacement for the entire IRS website.
Can You File Your Tax Return in the IRS App?
The IRS announcement does not describe the new app as a complete tax-return preparation and filing application.
The IRS continues to provide tax-filing information and services through IRS.gov, including information about available free-filing options.
If you are looking for a way to prepare and submit your federal return, don’t assume that downloading the IRS app replaces tax preparation software or other filing methods.
The app is better understood as an account-management and self-service tool.
Can You Use the IRS App Without an Account?
Some IRS mobile functions have historically been available without signing in, including refund tracking.
The new app’s expanded account-specific features, however, require secure access because they involve personal tax-account information.
For example, viewing balances, payment history, tax records and other account-specific information requires the IRS to verify who is accessing that information.
If you only want to check a refund, the IRS also maintains refund-tracking options through its website.
Is the IRS Mobile App Free?
Yes.
The official IRS app itself is free.
Be aware, however, that the method you choose to make a tax payment can affect whether a separate processing fee applies.
For example, IRS guidance indicates that certain payment methods can involve processing fees, while other methods may be available without one.
Always review the payment details before submitting a transaction.
