I Spent 4 Hours Stuck in the ID.me ‘Loop’ So You Don’t Have To: How to Fix Error E-400 Instantly

I woke up this Saturday morning ready to check my refund status. I had my coffee, I had my phone, and I had hope.

Then, the nightmare started.

I clicked “Sign In with ID.me” on the IRS website and… nothing. Just a spinning circle. It spun for 10 minutes. When I finally refreshed the page, I got the dreaded “Error Code E-400”.

If you are seeing this right now, DO NOT PANIC. You are not being audited. You are just stuck in a “tech loop.”

As reported by major financial tech outlets like International Business Times (IBTimes), identity verification glitches are becoming a massive headache for millions of Americans this tax season. The system is overloaded, and your browser is simply confused.

But I found the fix. Here is exactly how to bypass the glitch in less than 2 minutes.

Step 1: Stop Clicking “Refresh”

This is the mistake everyone makes. When you see the spinning circle, your instinct is to refresh the page.

Stop it.

When you refresh, you are just sending the same “corrupted” data back to the IRS server. You are making the digital knot tighter. If you keep doing this, ID.me might temporarily lock you out for “suspicious activity.”

Step 2: The “Incognito” Secret (The Real Fix)

This is the only method that worked for me instantly (and confirmed by thousands of others on Reddit forums):

1. Open your Chrome or Safari browser app.
2. Click the three dots (or tabs button) in the corner.
3. Select “New Incognito Tab” (or Private Mode).
4. CRITICAL STEP: Go directly to ID.me FIRST (do not go to IRS.gov yet).
5. Log in to your ID.me account there.

Once you are logged in successfully on the Incognito tab, THEN open a new tab and go to IRS.gov/account.

Why this works: Incognito mode clears the “bad cookies” and cache that were causing the loop. It forces the system to treat you like a brand-new visitor.

Step 3: The “Wi-Fi” Switch

Still stuck on the spinning circle?

If you are on your home Wi-Fi, turn it OFF. Switch to your phone’s 5G/LTE Data.

Sometimes, the IP address from your home Wi-Fi gets “flagged” for too many login attempts. Switching to mobile data gives you a fresh connection and a new IP address, which often bypasses the block immediately.

A Final Note on Video Verification

If the system asks for a video selfie after you log in, ensure you are in a well-lit room. As noted in security reports from IBTimes, poor lighting and blurry cameras are the #1 reason for automated verification failure.

Don’t let a glitch delay your money. Try these steps now and check your transcript again!

(Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor, CPA, or an employee of ID.me. I am just a taxpayer sharing what worked for me. For official support, please contact the ID.me help desk directly.)