How to Get an IRS IP PIN for Your Dependent: Form 15227 Steps

To get an IRS Identity Protection PIN for a dependent, submit Form 15227 online, by mail, or by fax, then complete a phone call with an IRS representative to verify your identity. If your income is above the Form 15227 thresholds or the phone verification fails, you can get the PIN instead by making an in-person appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. The IP PIN is a six-digit code that must appear on any e-filed federal return claiming your dependent’s SSN, and it blocks fraudulent returns filed under that number.

Why Dependents Need a Different Process

The IRS’s standard online IP PIN tool requires an ID.me account, and dependents under 18 cannot set one up.¹ That leaves two routes for a parent or guardian: Form 15227 with a follow-up phone verification, or an in-person visit to a Taxpayer Assistance Center. Anyone with a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is eligible to enroll voluntarily.²

One quick check before you start: if your dependent has already been assigned an IP PIN, don’t file Form 15227. The form is only for new opt-in requests.³

Who Qualifies to Use Form 15227

You can use Form 15227 if you meet all three conditions:

Your adjusted gross income on your most recently filed return is below $84,000 if you file individually, or $168,000 if you file jointly.⁴
You have a working phone number where the IRS can reach you.
Your dependent has a valid SSN or ITIN.

Over the income limit, or unable to take the phone call? Skip to the in-person route further down. The Taxpayer Assistance Center process has no income cap.

What to Have Ready

Before you open the form, pull together:

Your dependent’s full legal name, SSN or ITIN, and date of birth, matching Social Security Administration or IRS records exactly.
Your own name, address, and a daytime phone number.
Your most recent tax return. The IRS representative who calls may ask about your filing status, prior-year figures, or other account details.⁵

Form 15227 itself requires no attachments. Still, keep your dependent’s birth certificate and Social Security card within reach in case the representative asks about identity or your relationship to the child during the verification call.

Submitting Form 15227

The form is a single page. The field that matters most for your situation is the checkbox showing that the person named is a dependent, which tells the IRS you are submitting on someone else’s behalf.

You have three submission options:⁶

Online, through the IRS web form at irs.gov/dmaf/form/f15227.
By mail, to Department of the Treasury, IRS, Fresno, CA 93888-0025.⁴
By fax, to 855-807-5720, with a confidential cover sheet to protect the personal information on the form.⁴

The Phone Verification Call

After the IRS receives Form 15227, a representative calls the number you listed to verify the dependent’s identity. The call is mandatory. Keep these within reach so you can answer on the first try:

Social Security Numbers and dates of birth for everyone named on your most recent return
Your filing status
A copy of your prior-year return
Any IRS letters or notices you’ve received

Answer carefully. If you fail verification, your remaining option is the in-person route at a Taxpayer Assistance Center.⁵

How Long It Takes, and When to Apply

Once you pass verification, the IRS mails the PIN to the address on file. The agency aims to process Form 15227 applications within 120 days of receipt, but the Taxpayer Advocate Service has reported that 60 percent of applications have taken longer than that target.⁷ The IRS mails CP01A notices with new PINs from mid-December through early January, so submit well before that window if you want the PIN in hand for the coming filing season.²

The In-Person Alternative

If your income exceeds the Form 15227 thresholds, or the phone call didn’t work out, book an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center by calling 844-545-5640. Offices are open Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.⁸

Bring:¹

For yourself, one government-issued photo ID and one additional form of identification.
For your dependent, two forms of identification, such as a birth certificate and Social Security card.

After the in-person verification, the dependent’s PIN arrives by mail, typically within three weeks. A new PIN then arrives automatically every year.¹

Using the PIN on Your Return

When you e-file a return claiming a dependent who has an IP PIN, enter the six-digit code in the designated field on Form 1040. Tax software prompts you for it. If the PIN is missing or wrong, the IRS rejects the e-filed return and you’ll need to correct and resubmit.²

Paper filers are not required to enter a dependent’s IP PIN on the return.² Paper processing is much slower, though, so treat that as a fallback.

One boundary worth knowing: the IP PIN is federal only. Do not put your dependent’s PIN on any state tax return.²

If the PIN Is Lost or Doesn’t Arrive

A minor dependent’s IP PIN cannot be retrieved through the online tool. Call 800-908-4490, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. If the representative can verify your identity, a replacement PIN will be mailed to the address on file within 21 days.³ Use the same number if the annual CP01A notice hasn’t arrived by mid-January.

Annual Renewal

An IP PIN is good for one calendar year. The IRS generates a new one each year and mails it on a CP01A notice from mid-December through early January.¹ You do not resubmit Form 15227. Once your dependent is enrolled, renewal is automatic.

When Your Dependent Turns 18

At 18, your child can take over by creating an ID.me account, verifying their identity, and requesting the PIN through the IRS’s online tool. If they already have an IRS online account, they can log in and request it directly.² Handle the switch early. If you still claim them as a dependent, you’ll need their PIN on your return, and if they file their own return for the first time, they’ll need it on theirs.

1
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
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Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
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Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
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Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227 Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
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Internal Revenue Service. Be Ready to Verify Your Identity When Calling the IRS
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Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227 Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
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Taxpayer Advocate Service. Identity Protection PINs: What to Know
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Internal Revenue Service. Let Us Help You