MyGovID vs Revenue myAccount
"MyGovID" and "Revenue myAccount" are often mentioned in the same sentence and frequently confused. They're not the same thing. MyGovID is the state's general-purpose identity service; Revenue myAccount is the Revenue Commissioners' tax-administration portal. You almost certainly need both, but for different reasons.
Side-by-side
| MyGovID | Revenue myAccount | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Department of Social Protection | Office of the Revenue Commissioners |
| What it's for | Single sign-on across many state services | Personal tax administration only |
| What you can do | Log in to MyWelfare, the HSE Health App, NDLS, SUSI, council services, and Revenue | File income tax returns, claim tax credits, request a Statement of Liability, manage tax registration |
| How you sign in | Email + password + SMS 2FA (verified accounts) | Two routes: with MyGovID, or with a Revenue-specific password |
| Holds your tax data | No | Yes |
| Holds your welfare data | No (the Department's other systems do) | No |
| Holds your identity attributes (name, DOB, PSC link) | Yes (the trust anchor) | Limited — your tax-relevant identifiers (PPS, address, marital status as recorded on tax record) |
| Can you have one without the other | Yes — many people have MyGovID without using myAccount | Yes — but myAccount via MyGovID is the recommended modern route |
The relationship
Revenue myAccount accepts two authentication paths:
- Sign in with MyGovID. Recommended. The MyGovID account vouches for who you are; Revenue accepts the assertion. This is the future direction; Revenue actively encourages it.
- Sign in with a Revenue-specific password. The older path. Still works for legacy users but Revenue prompts you on each login to consider switching to MyGovID.
So MyGovID is the door; Revenue myAccount is one of the rooms behind that door.
Which do you need?
- You only interact with Revenue (PAYE worker, no welfare claim, no driving licence to renew). A verified MyGovID + Revenue myAccount via MyGovID is the modern setup. If you have a legacy Revenue-only login, it still works.
- You interact with Revenue and other state services. Verified MyGovID is the unified login; you'll use it for Revenue and for everything else.
- You're a sole trader / self-employed. You need Revenue myAccount or ROS (Revenue Online Service — for more advanced filings). Both accept MyGovID sign-in.
- You're a tax agent acting for someone else. You need ROS, not myAccount. ROS has its own credential flow.
Common confusions
"I have a MyGovID — does that mean I have a Revenue myAccount?"
Not automatically. The first time you click "Sign in with MyGovID" on Revenue, you're prompted to either link an existing myAccount or to set one up. Quick process; takes about 5 minutes.
"My Revenue myAccount login isn't working — is MyGovID down?"
If you sign in via MyGovID and it's broken, check whether the issue is on the MyGovID side (try logging in directly at mygovid.ie). If MyGovID itself logs you in fine but Revenue refuses the handoff, the issue is at Revenue or in the assertion path between them. Our server errors guide covers the diagnostic.
"Can I have one MyGovID and multiple Revenue myAccounts?"
No. One MyGovID maps to one personal myAccount. Business / agent accounts are a separate ROS flow.
"What if I lose access to MyGovID — does that block Revenue too?"
If you sign in to Revenue via MyGovID and MyGovID is locked, your Revenue access via that path is also blocked until MyGovID is recovered. If you still have a legacy Revenue-only password set, you can fall back to it. See account locked.
The road ahead
Revenue is gradually deprecating the Revenue-only password path; new myAccount registrations now default to MyGovID. The longer-term direction is for MyGovID (and eventually the EUDI Wallet built on it) to be the sole credential for personal tax access. Legacy Revenue-only logins will continue to work for some years, but the strategic direction is unified single sign-on.