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Use the IRS mobile app for quick, routine tasks on your phone; use your IRS Individual Online Account on IRS.gov when you need the broader set of account controls. The app can check refund status, show an available balance, accept certain payments, display payment activity, show selected notices and available transcripts, and retrieve an IP PIN. The web account is the better starting point for payment-plan management, authorization requests and other functions the app does not yet expose.
The app launched on September 25, 2026, as the successor to IRS2Go. It extends selected Individual Online Account services to mobile, but the IRS says it does not replace IRS.gov, Individual Online Account, Business Tax Account or Tax Pro Account.
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The short answer: match the channel to the task
Think of the app as a mobile front door for a limited set of personal tax tasks, not as a complete replacement for the IRS website. If you are waiting for a refund, want to make a routine payment or need a quick look at a notice, the app is usually the most convenient place to start. If you need to change or manage a payment plan, respond to an authorization request, or use a less common account tool, begin with Individual Online Account on IRS.gov.
Some app functions work without signing in. The IRS identifies refund-status checks, certain payment functions and finding free filing help as examples. Account-specific information still requires the IRS secure sign-in and identity-verification process.
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What changed in September 2026
The app replaced IRS2Go
The IRS launched its new app on September 25, 2026. It replaces IRS2Go rather than operating as a separate parallel app. If automatic updates are enabled, existing IRS2Go users receive the new app through an update; otherwise, update it through the device’s app store.
It is an extension of Individual Online Account
The mobile app exposes selected functions from the individual online account. The word selected matters: availability can depend on your account, tax status and the feature rollout. The app is not a mobile version of every page, form, information resource or professional account on IRS.gov.
The wider IRS website remains necessary
IRS.gov continues to provide tax guidance, forms, instructions, calculators, general tools and services that are outside a personal account. The app also does not replace Business Tax Account or Tax Pro Account. A business owner or tax professional should use the account designed for that role rather than assume the individual app will contain the needed controls.
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| What you need to do | Better starting point | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Check refund status | Either service | The app offers refund-status checking with or without sign-in; Individual Online Account also shows refund status. |
| Make a payment | Either, depending on the payment | The app supports payments, while the web account provides broader payment controls. |
| Review payment activity | IRS app or Individual Online Account | The app can show payment activity when the information is available to your account. |
| See an available balance | Either service | Account-specific balance information requires secure sign-in. |
| View notices | Either, subject to availability | The app displays selected notices; the online account provides the broader account-record environment. |
| Get transcripts or other records | Either, subject to availability | The app provides available tax records and transcripts; the web account has additional record tools. |
| Retrieve an IP PIN | IRS app or Individual Online Account | The feature is available only when it is offered for your account. |
| Manage a payment plan | Individual Online Account | The IRS lists payment-plan functions for the web account; the app does not provide the full set of online-account features. |
| Handle an authorization request | Individual Online Account | Authorization-request functions are listed for the web account, not as a complete app capability. |
| Find forms, instructions and general tax guidance | IRS.gov | The app does not replace the wider information and form library on the website. |
| Use a phone for routine access | IRS app | The app is designed for mobile use and supports iOS/iPadOS 15.1 or later and Android 7.0 or later, according to the IRS FAQ. |
When the IRS mobile app is the better choice
You only need a refund update
Refund status is one of the app’s simplest uses. The IRS says this check is available without signing in, so you can use the app even when you do not need to open your full account. Signing in can still be useful when you want to connect the status check with other available account information.
You want to make a routine payment
The app supports payments, making it practical when you already have your phone available and do not need to change a payment arrangement. Because payment options can vary by account and payment type, review the choices presented in the app rather than assuming every payment method is available to every taxpayer.
You need to confirm payment activity
Use the app when the immediate question is whether a payment appears in your IRS activity. If the transaction is missing, delayed or connected to a payment plan that needs adjustment, move to Individual Online Account for the broader controls.
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You want a quick look at a balance, notice or transcript
The app can show an available balance, selected notices and available tax records or transcripts. These are useful phone-sized tasks: open the app, authenticate when prompted, and select the record or account view offered for your profile. “Available” is an important limitation; the IRS does not promise that every notice or record will appear in the mobile view.
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If the IP PIN feature is available for your account, the app can retrieve it. Treat the number as sensitive tax information and do not send it in an unsolicited text, email or social-media message.
You want free filing help without opening an account
The IRS FAQ says the app can help users find free filing help without signing in. This is a discovery function, not a substitute for completing a return or managing an account in the web environment.
When Individual Online Account is the better choice
You need to manage a payment plan
Payment-plan management is the clearest reason to start on the website. The IRS lists payment-plan functions among the online account capabilities, while the app exposes only a selected subset of those capabilities. Use the web account when you need to review or change arrangement details rather than simply make a payment.
You need to handle an authorization request
Authorization requests are another web-first task. If you are granting, reviewing or responding to authority connected with a tax professional or another representative, open Individual Online Account and follow the available authorization workflow. Do not assume that a task visible in the web account will also appear in the app.
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The online account is the stronger choice when you are assembling a complete record for a loan application, amended return, identity issue or conversation with the IRS. The app can provide available transcripts and records, but the web account is designed as the fuller record-management environment.
You need information outside your personal account
Questions about filing requirements, forms, instructions, credits, publications or general tax rules belong on IRS.gov. The app is not intended to replace that information library. Start with the website when you are researching what to file, not merely checking the status of something already in your account.
You are using a business or professional account
The mobile app is tied to selected individual-account services. It does not replace Business Tax Account or Tax Pro Account. Choose the account type that matches your role before trying to complete a business or representative task.
Do you need to sign in?
App tasks that can work without sign-in
The IRS FAQ says you can use the app without signing in for refund-status checking, certain payments and finding free filing help. “Certain” means the app may still request authentication for a specific payment or account detail.
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Tasks that require protected account access
Viewing a balance, payment activity, notices, transcripts or an IP PIN involves personal tax information and normally requires secure sign-in. The same principle applies to protected functions in Individual Online Account.
How app authentication works
For app sign-in, the IRS FAQ says authentication opens in a secure browser window and then returns you to the app. This handoff is expected behavior, not evidence that you have left the official IRS process. Complete the identity-verification prompts, return to the app when directed, and close the session if you are using a shared device.
Who can create an account
The IRS says anyone who can verify their identity may create an Individual Online Account. Identity verification is a security requirement, so a failed verification attempt can prevent access even when you know your tax information.
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How to get the app safely
- Start from an official IRS path. Use IRS.gov or the official Apple App Store or Google Play listing reached through the IRS. Do not search an advertisement and assume it is genuine.
- Check that the app is the IRS app. Look for the official publisher information and confirm that the listing corresponds to the September 2026 successor to IRS2Go.
- Install or update only through the store. Current IRS2Go users with automatic updates should receive the replacement automatically; everyone else should update from the device’s store.
- Confirm the operating system. The IRS FAQ lists iOS/iPadOS 15.1 or later and Android 7.0 or later as supported minimums.
- Open the app and use the secure sign-in flow when needed. If authentication moves to a browser window, complete it there and let the process return you to the app.
How to use each service for common tasks
Checking a refund
- Open the IRS app or go to Individual Online Account on IRS.gov.
- Choose the refund-status function.
- If the app offers the check without sign-in, provide the requested return details; sign in if the service asks for protected account access.
- Read the status shown for the relevant tax year and use the web account if you need additional account records.
Making or reviewing a payment
- Open the app or sign in to Individual Online Account.
- Select the payment option presented for your account.
- Verify the tax year, amount and payment date before submitting.
- After submission, use payment activity to confirm that the transaction is recorded. If you need to change a payment arrangement, continue in the web account.
Retrieving a transcript or notice
- Sign in through the IRS secure authentication process.
- Open the records, transcripts or notices view that is available to your profile.
- Use the app when the needed item is listed there; switch to Individual Online Account if the item is not available or you need additional record tools.
- Save or print records only on a device and connection you trust.
Safety and privacy practices
Avoid look-alike apps and messages
The IRS warns taxpayers against advertisements and unsolicited texts, emails or pop-ups that claim to provide IRS access or ask for sensitive personal or financial information. Do not install an app from a message link, and do not provide your Social Security number, bank details or sign-in credentials in response to an unexpected request.
Use the official sign-in route
Begin at IRS.gov or the official store listing. Check the address and publisher before entering information. If a page appears after an advertisement or an unsolicited message, close it and restart from an official IRS entry point.
Understand what is stored on the phone
The app FAQ says tax-account information is not stored as permanent app data on the device. That does not make a lost or shared phone risk-free: protect the device with its screen lock, install operating-system updates and sign out when another person may use it.
Protect sensitive outputs
Transcripts, notices, balances and IP PINs can help someone impersonate you. Avoid taking screenshots that remain in a shared photo library, and remove downloaded files from devices you do not control.
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| Your situation | Start here | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I am checking whether my refund has moved. | IRS app | The app supports refund status and can do so without sign-in. |
| I am paying an amount due once. | App or web account | Both support payment activity, but the available choices can differ by account and payment type. |
| I want to alter an installment or payment arrangement. | Individual Online Account | The web account lists payment-plan management; the app is only a selected extension. |
| I need to respond to an authorization request. | Individual Online Account | Authorization-request functions are part of the broader web toolkit. |
| I need one available transcript while traveling. | IRS app | The app can provide available transcripts after secure sign-in. |
| I need a complete set of account records. | Individual Online Account | The web environment provides broader record tools. |
| I am looking for forms or tax instructions. | IRS.gov | General information and forms are outside the app’s account-focused scope. |
| I am acting for a business or client. | Business Tax Account or Tax Pro Account | The individual app does not replace those account types. |
Common problems and what to do
The app is not in your store
Check the operating-system requirement first: iOS/iPadOS must be version 15.1 or later, and Android must be version 7.0 or later according to the IRS FAQ. If the device is compatible, reach the listing through IRS.gov rather than an advertisement or message.
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You still see IRS2Go
Automatic updates may be disabled. Open the official app store, locate the IRS listing and apply the available update. Avoid downloading a second app from an unofficial source.
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A feature is missing
The app does not contain every Individual Online Account function. If payment-plan management, an authorization request or a needed record is absent, sign in to the web account. Feature availability can also depend on your account or tax status.
Sign-in returns you to the wrong place
The app’s secure authentication opens in a browser and should return you to the app. Keep the app installed, complete the browser prompts, and use the official sign-in route again if the handoff fails. Do not enter credentials into a page reached from an unsolicited message.
Your account cannot be verified
Identity verification is required for protected information. Recheck the information you entered and follow the IRS prompts. If verification still fails, use the account-help options offered by the official IRS site rather than creating an account through a third-party service.
What the evidence does—and does not—show
The IRS has documented the app’s launch, supported operating systems and selected capabilities, but it has not published a statistic comparing app users with web-account users on speed, satisfaction, security outcomes or successful task completion. There is therefore no measured winner on those dimensions. The defensible distinction is functional: the app is narrower and phone-oriented, while Individual Online Account is broader and better suited to account management.
Because the rollout is new, labels and available functions may change as the IRS adds features. Before relying on the app for an unusual or time-sensitive task, check the current IRS app and account pages and confirm that the exact function is listed for your account.
Bottom line
Install the IRS app if you want convenient phone access to refund status, routine payments, payment activity, selected notices, available transcripts or an IP PIN. Keep Individual Online Account as your primary route for payment-plan changes, authorization requests, complete account records and anything the app does not explicitly offer. The two services are complementary: the app is a focused mobile extension, and the web account remains the fuller personal-tax workspace.
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