To find your IP PIN for taxes, log in to your IRS online account at irs.gov: the current year’s six-digit Identity Protection PIN appears in the IP PIN section of your profile page. If you can’t get in online, you can call 800-908-4490 to have a replacement mailed, book an appointment at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center, or, if you qualify, request one by paper using Form 15227. Each route has different timing and requirements, and the right one depends on how quickly you need to file.
Find It in Your IRS Online Account
The online method is the fastest. Go to the IRS “Get an Identity Protection PIN” page at irs.gov and sign in. Your current PIN is listed in the Identity Protection PIN section of your profile. The number changes every year, so make sure you’re looking at the PIN for the tax year you’re filing, not a prior year’s code or your old e-filing PIN.
If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need to create one through ID.me, the third-party identity verification service the IRS uses. Setup requires a government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport) and either your Social Security number or ITIN. You’ll upload a photo of the document and take a live selfie so the system can match your face to your ID. Most verifications finish within minutes, though some get routed to a manual review or a video call with an ID.me agent.
ITIN holders verify through ID.me the same way SSN holders do. Have your documents ready before you start. Sessions can time out if you have to hunt for paperwork mid-process.
Get Your IP PIN by Phone
If the online system won’t work for you, call the IRS at 800-908-4490. The line is staffed Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time). An agent will run you through identity screening questions and then mail your IP PIN to the address on file. Expect the replacement notice to take up to 21 days to arrive.
That 21-day wait is the catch. If you’re close to the filing deadline, the mailed PIN may not reach you in time. Filing an extension buys you room to receive the replacement without triggering a late-filing penalty.
Get It in Person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center
You can also retrieve your IP PIN in person at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center. Call 844-545-5640 to schedule an appointment; walk-ins can face long waits. Bring a current government-issued photo ID, a second form of identification, your Social Security card or ITIN documentation, and a copy of your most recent tax return if you have one.
A staff member verifies your identity on the spot and either provides your PIN directly or starts a mailed replacement. This is a good fallback if online verification and the phone line have both failed you.
Request an IP PIN by Mail With Form 15227
If you can’t verify online and don’t want to visit an office, Form 15227 is a paper option. You have to meet all four of these conditions to use it:
- You have not already been assigned an IP PIN.
- You have a valid SSN or ITIN.
- Your adjusted gross income on your last filed return was under $84,000, or under $168,000 if married filing jointly.
- You have a working phone where the IRS can reach you.
Mail the completed form to the IRS in Fresno, CA 93888-0025, or fax it toll-free to 855-807-5720 with a cover sheet marked “Confidential.” Once the IRS receives the form, an agent calls you to verify your identity before issuing the PIN. This is the slowest of the four routes, so plan well ahead of filing season if you go this way.
Where to Enter the PIN Once You Have It
On a paper return, look for boxes labeled “Identity Protection PIN” in the signature area of Form 1040 and enter the six digits there. When you e-file, your tax software prompts you for the PIN during the filing process. If you can’t find the field, search the software for “Identity Protection PIN” or “IP PIN,” or contact its help desk. If a preparer is filing for you, hand over the PIN only when you’re ready to sign and submit.
One boundary worth knowing: the IP PIN applies only to your federal return. State returns don’t use it.
If you e-file without a valid IP PIN, the IRS rejects the return outright. Paper returns without the PIN aren’t rejected, but the IRS reviews your identity manually, which delays your refund.
Joint Returns and Dependents
On a joint return, each spouse who has an IP PIN must enter their own. If only one spouse is enrolled, only that spouse’s PIN goes on the return.
Dependents matter too. If a dependent you’re claiming has been issued an IP PIN and you’re e-filing, you need their PIN on your return. You’ll enter it on the Form 1040 series, on Form 2441 if you’re claiming child and dependent care expenses, and on Schedule EIC if you’re claiming the earned income credit. A missing dependent IP PIN triggers a rejection the same way a missing filer PIN does. On a paper return, you don’t need to include a dependent’s IP PIN.
If someone else claims you as a dependent and you have an IP PIN, share it with them so their e-filed return will go through.
Watch Out for Scams
The IRS will never call, email, or text to ask for your IP PIN. Any request through those channels is a scam. The only people who should know your PIN are you and, when you’re ready to file, your tax preparer. The IP PIN isn’t your IRS account password and isn’t the old-style e-filing PIN from prior years: it’s a six-digit identity verification number that changes annually and applies only to your federal tax return. Handing it out carelessly gives a scammer the last piece they need to file a fraudulent return in your name.