Fixing problems
990-N login: signing in to the IRS e-Postcard system
To file the 990-N at irs.gov you sign in with a Login.gov or ID.me account, then enter your organization's EIN. If you already have an IRS account, use the same email address. File from a computer, not a phone or tablet. If sign-in still fails, call IRS Customer Account Services at 877-829-5500.
This is the IRS's own site, not ours.
Where is the 990-N login?
The e-Postcard filing system is on the IRS website at sa.www4.irs.gov/epostcard. You can also reach it from the IRS's Form 990-N page through the "Submit Form 990-N (e-Postcard)" link.
Filing there is free, and there's no paper version (IRS).
Login.gov or ID.me?
Either one. The IRS's main 990-N page says it "requires a Login.gov or an ID.me account" to submit the e-Postcard (IRS). The IRS user guide says the same (Publication 5248). If you already use one of them for another government service, use that one.
You may see older instructions. Here's what each IRS page said when we checked on October 15, 2026:
| IRS page | What it says about signing in |
|---|---|
| Form 990-N filing requirement | Login.gov or ID.me |
| User guide, Publication 5248 (Rev. 8-2023) | Login.gov and ID.me |
| How to file FAQ | An existing IRS username, an existing ID.me account, or a new ID.me account (written for the August 2022 change) |
| CP299 notice page | ID.me ("Sign In or Create a New ID.me Account") |
New treasurer: whose account do we use?
Your own. The Login.gov or ID.me account belongs to the person filing, not the organization. After you sign in, the IRS user guide has you create an "e-Postcard Profile", pick a user type and add your organization's EIN to it (IRS Publication 5248):
- Exempt Organization: if you're only filing for your own group.
- Preparer: if you help several groups. The guide says this lets you "add as many organizations as you wish". It's handy for a treasurer who files for more than one chapter.
So a new treasurer doesn't need the old treasurer's login. Sign in with your own account and add the EIN. If records or the principal officer also changed hands, see our guide for new treasurers.
Fixing common sign-in problems
"My email doesn't match." The IRS says filers "who have an existing IRS username and register for an ID.me account must use the same email address" (IRS). The main 990-N page asks you to use "the same email address associated with their IRS account".
The form won't accept what I typed. The IRS says to use "only letters, numbers or a hyphen" in text fields (IRS). Commas, periods, ampersands and apostrophes in your name or address can cause errors.
The activation email never came. Check your spam or junk folder (IRS).
I'm on my phone. Switch to a computer. The IRS says not to use a smartphone or tablet to register or file.
Still stuck. Sign out, close everything, restart your computer, wait a minute, and try again. The IRS asks you to do this before you call for technical help.
Verifying your identity. Login.gov and ID.me each have their own steps and help pages: Login.gov help and ID.me help.
How do we know it was accepted?
You won't get an email. The IRS says "you will not receive notification by email that your form was rejected or accepted". You have to sign back in to see the status (IRS). More in after you file.
When to call the IRS
Call TE/GE Customer Account Services at 877-829-5500 (toll-free) when:
- sign-in still fails after the steps above;
- the system says your EIN isn't found. See EIN not found.
The IRS says that if you can't fix a filing problem, "a representative will file your Form 990-N information" (IRS).
Filing without the IRS sign-in
You can also file through an IRS-approved e-file provider. Providers send the e-Postcard to the IRS for you, so you don't use the IRS sign-in. They charge a fee; the IRS route is free. Compare prices in filing a 990-N for earlier years.