What Happens If You Lose Your IRS IP PIN: Online Tool or Form 15227

If you lost your IRS IP PIN, you can recover it three ways: retrieve it through your IRS online account, submit Form 15227 by mail or fax, or verify your identity in person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. The online tool is the fastest option and displays your six-digit number immediately after you log in and pass identity verification.¹ If the filing deadline is close and none of these work in time, you can file a paper return without the PIN or, better, request an extension on Form 4868, which does not require your IP PIN.²

Retrieve It Through Your IRS Online Account

Log in at irs.gov and open the IP PIN section of your profile page. After you complete identity verification, the system shows your current six-digit number on screen.¹ If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to create one, which requires a valid email address and multi-factor authentication.

The online tool is not available year-round. It runs from roughly mid-January through mid-November; outside that window the system is offline for maintenance and for generating the next year’s PINs.¹ If you lose your PIN during those offline weeks, you’ll need to fall back to Form 15227 or an in-person appointment.

Write the number down as soon as you retrieve it, and keep it somewhere secure until you file.

Submit Form 15227 If You Can’t Use the Online Tool

Form 15227 (Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number) is the next option when you can’t create or log into an online account. You can submit it electronically through the IRS website, or send the PDF by fax or mail.³

There are income limits. Your adjusted gross income on your most recently filed return must be below:

$84,000 if filing as an individual
$168,000 if married filing jointly

If your income is above those thresholds, you have to verify your identity in person instead.¹

Once the IRS receives the form, a representative calls the phone number you listed to verify your identity. After you’re verified, your IP PIN is mailed to the address the IRS has on file. Plan on four to six weeks, and longer during peak filing season.¹

Verify in Person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center

If the online tool and Form 15227 don’t work for you, or your income is above the Form 15227 thresholds, schedule an appointment at a local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center.¹

Bring two things:

One government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID card, or passport
One additional form of identification, such as a Social Security card, birth certificate, voter registration card, or utility bill showing your current address

The full list of acceptable documents is on the IRS local office contact page.⁴ After you’re verified in person, the IRS mails your IP PIN, typically within about three weeks. You’ll also receive a new PIN by mail each year going forward.¹

What Happens If You File Without It

An e-filed return with a missing or wrong IP PIN is rejected outright. You can’t resubmit electronically until you enter the correct number.¹

A paper return without the PIN is a different story. The IRS won’t reject it, but it goes into a manual identity verification process. Any refund is held until that’s finished, and processing can add weeks or months, especially between February and April.¹ The Taxpayer Advocate Service notes the same delay for paper returns that arrive without the PIN.⁵

One boundary worth knowing: the IP PIN is only required on federal Form 1040 and its variants (1040-NR, 1040-PR, 1040-SR, 1040-SS). It’s not required on state returns or on Form 4868, the federal extension.² If you’re running out of time, filing an extension buys you six more months without a late-filing penalty. An extension to file is not an extension to pay, though; if you owe, estimate and pay by the original deadline to avoid interest and late-payment penalties.

Spouse and Dependent PINs on the Same Return

On a joint return, every person listed who has been assigned an IP PIN must have that number on the return. If both spouses have PINs, both are required, and a missing PIN from either one causes the e-filed return to be rejected.²

Dependents with assigned PINs matter too. If you e-file and claim a dependent who has an IP PIN, their number has to appear on the applicable forms, including Form 1040, Form 2441 (Child and Dependent Care Expenses), and the Schedule for the Earned Income Credit. Leaving it off rejects the return. On a paper return, a dependent’s IP PIN is not required.²

The PIN Changes Every Year

Whatever PIN you recover now only works for the current calendar year. The IRS generates a new six-digit number for you annually, and last year’s number won’t work on this year’s return.²

If the IRS enrolled you in the program because you were a confirmed victim of tax-related identity theft, a CP01A notice with your new PIN arrives by mail each December or January.⁶ If you opted in yourself through the online tool, the IRS does not mail the new PIN — you have to log in and retrieve it each January.² Grab it and store it as soon as it’s available; that’s what prevents this same problem next filing season.

1
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
2
Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
3
Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227 Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
4
Internal Revenue Service. Contact Your Local IRS Office
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Taxpayer Advocate Service. Protect Yourself From Tax-Related Identity Theft: Get an Identity Protection PIN
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Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP01A Notice