IRS Employment Verification

A Direct Alternative to The Work Number

Automated verification platforms like The Work Number depend on employers opting in and contributing payroll data. If an employer hasn’t enrolled, the record simply doesn’t exist in their system. Those that do participate are charged a fee every time a verification is requested on their employees.

The IRS Income Verification Express Service (IVES) sidesteps that entirely. Every W-2 and 1099 filed with the IRS is on record — regardless of whether the employer participates in any third-party system. With the applicant’s consent through ID.me, we retrieve that data directly from the source.

W-2 and 1099 records only
Up to 8 years of history
No employer enrollment required
No per-verification fee passed to employers
FCRA compliant — applicant consent required

What This Search Reports

This search identifies which years the applicant had W-2 or 1099 income on file with the IRS. That’s it — one clean answer: did this person work, and in which years?

It does not return job titles, specific start or end dates, salary figures, or employer contact details. For those, see our standard employment verification.

Depends on applicant completing ID.me

What’s Included

Years with W-2 income (traditional employment)

Years with 1099 income (independent contractors)

Up to 8 years of IRS tax transcript history

Data pulled directly from the IRS — not a third-party database

Covers all employers regardless of enrollment in private systems

FCRA-compliant — applicant authorizes access directly with the IRS

What We Need From the Applicant

Five fields are required to submit a request to the IRS:

First Name
Last Name
Social Security Number
Address
Email address — used to send the ID.me authorization link

The Consent Process — What the Applicant Can Expect

Once a request is submitted, the applicant receives an email directing them to ID.me. They create an account or log in, then authorize the IRS to release their tax transcripts to us. This step happens entirely between the applicant and the IRS — we never access ID.me credentials or IRS account details.

Once authorization is confirmed, the IRS releases the transcript data and we deliver the results.

Need help setting up your ID.me account? Watch this short walkthrough (starts at 1:57). Note: you will receive an email with a link that initiates the process rather than navigating to ID.me directly — the account setup steps are the same.

Requesting 8 years? The IRS processes verifications in four-year increments. Applicants requesting the full 8-year history will receive two separate emails — the first to authorize the initial four-year period, and a second to confirm the additional four years. Both must be completed to return a full result.

What This Search Does Not Include

This search is limited to what the IRS transcript contains. It will not return:

Job titles or positions held
Specific start and end dates of employment
Salary or compensation amounts
Employer contact information or HR details
Reason for leaving

For verifications that include titles, dates, and direct employer contact, see our standard employment verification.