Authentication Guide (Used for activating a MyTax Illinois account for the first time)
How do I know if I am eligible to activate a MyTax Illinois account?
To set up a MyTax Illinois account, you must
- already be registered with the Illinois Department of Revenue to do business in Illinois if you are a business or have a recent history of filing individual income tax returns if you are an individual;
- have a tax account type currently available in MyTax Illinois; and
- know the specific business or individual identification information required for activation.
Do I have to activate a MyTax Illinois account to file my Form IL-1040, Individual Income Tax Return?
No. You do not have to activate a MyTax Illinois account to file your 2022 Form IL-1040, Individual Income Tax Return. For more information, see File Form IL-1040, Individual Income Tax Return, on MyTax Illinois.
Note: Make sure to have your adjusted gross income amount from your prior year return filed in Illinois, a valid Illinois Driver's License card, or a valid Illinois State Identification Card.
If you have a MyTax Illinois account, you can login to your account and choose the "File a Return" option.
How do I access MyTax Illinois to activate a MyTax Illinois account?
Setting up access to your MyTax Illinois account is easy!
- Go to MyTax Illinois. Individuals will need to obtain a Letter ID. If you do not have a recent notice issued to you by the Illinois Department of Revenue from which you can obtain a Letter ID, then you can select the link "Request a Letter ID" under the 'Individuals' panel on the MyTax Illinois homepage. You must have previously filed an individual income tax return with the Illinois Department of Revenue in order to activate an account. We will send a letter to the mailing address we have on file for you.
- Click on the "Sign up" link.
- Enter all required fields. The information required during the MyTax Illinois activation varies based on the tax types for which you sign up.
If you need more information, see the MyTax Illinois Help Guide. If you need additional assistance, email us at
When you login to your MyTax Illinois account, you will be required to use a two-step verification. We will send you a security code, a security enhancement to help protect your account. When you first set up two-step verification, you can choose to receive this code by email to an address you provide or by using an authenticator app. A new security code will be provided to you by the method you select each time you log in to MyTax Illinois.
This two-step verification ensures that only one user will have access to a username and password. If you have multiple users in your organization who need to log in to MyTax Illinois, please see "What can I do to manage access to MyTax Illinois if my organization has multiple users who need to log in?". If you are a tax professional who uses MyTax Illinois to access your client accounts, please see "What is third-party access in MyTax Illinois? ".
If you would like to set up a secondary method, such as a second email address, to verify your MyTax account, you can do so under "Manage My Profile" once you have logged in to your account.
Note: If you requested your code by email and did not receive it, check your Spam and Junk folders. You may also need to check with your IT department to ensure you are able to receive emails from Rev.DoNotReply@illinois.gov (or any email with the @illinois.gov domain).
How do I grant others access to my MyTax Illinois account?
Third-party access
Third-party access enables another trusted user, such as a tax preparer, who has his or her own MyTax Illinois logon to have access to your MyTax Illinois account. The master of a MyTax Illinois account can allow or revoke this access and control which tax accounts the third party can access. A tax preparer with third-party access can log in to MyTax Illinois using the preparer's own username and password to access client accounts all in one location. Note that third-party access is not available for accounts administered by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
In order to allow third-party access, you must have activated your own MyTax Illinois account. To allow third parties the ability to request access to your account, after logging in, select "Manage my Profile" and then "More…," and then in the panel labeled "Access," select "Manage third party access." From this screen, you can indicate that you would like to allow third party access. You will also see which third parties currently have access to your account.
A tax preparer needing to request third-party access to another user's account must log in to his or her MyTax Illinois account and go to "More…." From this screen, under the panel "Access," you can select "Add Access to an Existing Tax Account." You will be required to enter different security information depending on the type of account you are adding.
Additional logons
Some organizations may have multiple users who need to access MyTax Illinois for different purposes. Each user should have his or her own username and password. The first user to activate a MyTax Illinois account for the organization becomes the Master account holder. This user has the ability to add and delete additional logons and to control what those users can see and do within MyTax Illinois.
To manage secondary logons for your account, select "Manage my profile," then "More…," and then in the "Other Users" panel, select "Manage Additional Logons." From this screen the Master on the account can control whether additional logons will be allowed, see other logons for this account, and create new usernames and passwords for additional users.
What if the person who set up MyTax Illinois access is no longer with the business?
If you have the Master username and password for your account, you can log in to MyTax Illinois and go to "Manage My Profile." This will allow you to update the email address, profile master name, authentication method, password, and secret question associated with your master logon.
If you do not have access to the master account, and the master account originator is no longer with your organization, please contact Rev.MyTaxHelp@illinois.gov or call Central Registration at 217 785-3707 for assistance.
Will I be able to control what secondary or third-party users are allowed to do on the account?
Yes. As master user, you control the settings for all access to your account. You can choose to allow other users full or limited access to view only your tax account information, or allow them additional access to file returns, make payments, or to file and pay. To reach these settings select "Manage my profile," then "More…," and then in the "Other Users" panel, select "Manage Additional Logons." You will be responsible for any changes needed to secondary or third-party users' access.
What happens if my company needs to change the master user?
The only way to change the master user is by contacting us. We can reset your company’s master user on your MyTax Illinois account. For assistance with changing your company’s MyTax Illinois master user, call us at 217 785-3707.
If I am a Sole Proprietor already registered on MyTax Illinois, how do I add individual income tax to my account?
To add individual income tax to your MyTax Illinois account:
- Login to your account.
- Select "More.." then "Add access to existing tax accounts."
- For the Account Type, select "Individual Income Tax."
- Enter the requested information and submit.