Yes, the IRS Identity Protection PIN changes every year. A fresh six-digit number is generated for your account each calendar year, and last year’s PIN stops working the moment the new one is issued. The reset is deliberate: a stolen PIN from a prior year is useless against the current filing season. How you get the new number depends on how you joined the program.
How You Receive the New PIN Each Year
If the IRS enrolled you automatically after a confirmed case of tax-related identity theft, a CP01A notice with your new PIN is mailed to you each year, typically between December and January.1Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP01A Notice You don’t need to request it. The mailing goes out automatically before filing season opens.
If you signed up voluntarily and obtained your PIN online, no CP01A notice is coming. You’re expected to log into your IRS online account each year and pull the new PIN yourself. The “Get an IP PIN” tool is generally available from mid-January through mid-November.2Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
That mid-November cutoff catches people off guard. If you wait until December to look for the next year’s PIN, the tool may already be offline while the IRS generates new numbers. Check in January once the tool comes back up, and your current-year PIN will be on the Profile page of your account.
If You Can’t Find This Year’s PIN
The fastest recovery route is the IRS online account. Sign in, go to your Profile page, and the current PIN is displayed there. Identity verification runs through ID.me and requires a photo of a government-issued ID plus a selfie taken with a phone or webcam.3Internal Revenue Service. New Identity Verification Process to Access Certain IRS Online Tools and Services
If you can’t get into the online account, call 800-908-4490 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time). Once a representative verifies your identity, the IRS will mail your PIN within 21 days to the address on file.4Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) The same number handles lost PINs for minor dependents.
If the filing deadline is closing in and you still don’t have your PIN, you can file a paper return without it. The IRS will hold the return while it verifies you filed it, so your refund will take significantly longer, but the return itself won’t be rejected.4Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
Using the Current-Year PIN on Your Return
The PIN goes on federal income tax returns only: Forms 1040, 1040-NR, 1040-PR, 1040-SR, and 1040-SS. It does not go on Form 4868 extension requests, estimated tax payments, or state returns.5Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
Two situations trip people up because of the annual reset. If you’re filing an amended return, you still need a PIN, and it’s the PIN for the calendar year you’re filing in, not for the tax year being amended. The same rule applies if you’re filing a late prior-year return: use the current year’s PIN.5Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
Every person on the return who has an IP PIN needs their own PIN entered. That covers a spouse on a joint return and any dependent who has been issued one.2Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
What Happens If the PIN Is Wrong or Missing
An e-filed return with a missing or wrong IP PIN is rejected immediately. You correct it and resubmit. A paper return without the correct PIN won’t be discarded, but the IRS will hold it while verifying your identity, which delays any refund.5Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
When an e-filed return bounces, your tax software will display a rejection code pointing to the PIN:
- IND-180-01 or IND-181-01: the primary taxpayer’s PIN didn’t match or wasn’t entered.
- IND-182-01 or IND-183-01: the spouse’s PIN has a mismatch or missing entry.
- IND-995 or IND-996: a dependent’s PIN didn’t match or wasn’t entered.
The usual cause is entering an old PIN. Pull the current-year number from your online account or CP01A notice and resubmit.
Can You Stop the Annual Renewal?
It depends on how you got in. If you signed up voluntarily, you can opt out through the IP PIN section on your online account Profile page, or by calling 800-908-4490. Allow up to 72 hours before you can e-file without a PIN or opt back in. If you chose the “one-time enrollment” option when you signed up, your enrollment ends automatically at the close of the calendar year and you can re-enroll later.5Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
Taxpayers the IRS placed in the program after a confirmed identity theft case cannot opt out. The annual PIN requirement stays permanently, and a new number will be issued every year for as long as the account is flagged.5Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)