Before you file taxes online, here’s how to do it securely All tax prep software contains multi-factor authentication Tags: SAN ANTONIO – Like most Americans, Matthew Starcez is filing his tax return online. “We’ve been doing our taxes online for the last seven years,” he said. “It’s easy. It’s convenient.” If you use direct deposit, electronic filing is the fastest way to get a refund. So is it safe? “The IRS says all tax prep software will now have multi-factor authentication,, which asks users for an extra bit of info to log in, like a code sent to their email,” said Consumer Reports security editor Yael Grauer.