IRS launches web tool for taxpayers to check amounts owed

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on Thursday that it’s launching a new online tool for people to view the amount they owe to the agency.

{mosads}The web feature will display the amount that taxpayers owe in tax, interest and penalties. It is designed to complement the existing options to pay the IRS online, the agency said.

The launch of the tool comes ahead of the 2017 tax filing season, which is expected to start next month.

Cybersecurity and identity theft have been major concerns for the agency in recent years. The IRS said the new web tool is secure and will require taxpayers to verify their identities through a two-step authentication process.

“This new tool is part of the IRS’s commitment to improve and expand taxpayer services by providing additional online taxpayer options,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a news release. “The new ‘balance due’ feature, paired with the existing online payment options, will increase the availability of self-service interactions with the IRS. This will give taxpayers another way to take care of their tax obligations in a fast and secure manner.”