What Is an Identity Protection PIN and How Does It Work?

An Identity Protection PIN is a six-digit number the IRS assigns you to keep someone else from filing a federal tax return under your Social Security number or ITIN. You enter it on your return, the IRS checks it before accepting the filing, and a new one is issued every calendar year so a stolen code goes stale on its own. Confirmed identity theft victims are enrolled automatically. Anyone else who can verify their identity can opt in.

How the IP PIN Works

Treat it as a second password on your tax account. When you file, the six-digit code goes on the return, and the IRS checks it before accepting the filing. A thief who has your Social Security number but not your current IP PIN cannot get a fraudulent return through the system. Because the number rotates every year, last year’s code is worthless.

The IP PIN applies only to federal income tax forms: Form 1040, 1040-NR, 1040-PR, 1040-SR, and 1040-SS.¹ It is not used on Form 4868 extension requests, and it is not used on state tax returns. It is also not the same as the five-digit self-select signature PIN some e-filing software asks you to create.

Who Gets One

Enrollment happens one of two ways.

If the IRS has resolved a tax-related identity theft case on your account, you are enrolled automatically and permanently. Each year the agency mails you a new IP PIN on a CP01A notice, typically between mid-December and early January.² Confirmed victims cannot opt out.

Everyone else opts in voluntarily. Any taxpayer with a Social Security number or ITIN who can verify their identity is eligible, even if they are not required to file a return.³ Once you opt in, you receive a new IP PIN each year and must use it on every federal return you file.

How to Request an IP PIN

The IRS offers three methods. Online is fastest.

Online

The “Get an IP PIN” tool on IRS.gov displays your number immediately once you sign in. You need an IRS online account, which requires identity verification through ID.me. The tool is available from mid-January through mid-November each year.³ Outside that window the system is down for annual maintenance.

Form 15227

If you cannot set up an online account, Form 15227 is an alternative, but only if the adjusted gross income on your most recently filed return was under $84,000, or $168,000 if married filing jointly.³ The form asks for your name, Social Security number, mailing address, date of birth, and the tax year of your most recent return. You can submit it electronically through the IRS website, or by fax or mail.⁴ An IRS agent will call the phone number on the form to verify your identity, and the IP PIN arrives by mail, usually within four to six weeks.

In person

If neither route works for you, schedule an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. Bring one government-issued photo ID and one additional form of identification. After identity verification at the appointment, your IP PIN is mailed to you, typically within about three weeks.³

Getting an IP PIN for a Dependent

Dependents can also be enrolled, which is worth doing if your child’s Social Security number has been exposed. Because a minor generally cannot create an ID.me account, you submit Form 15227 on their behalf or visit a TAC in person.¹ For an in-person appointment, bring your own photo ID plus one additional ID for yourself, and two forms of identification for the dependent, such as a birth certificate and Social Security card. The IRS may also ask for proof of legal guardianship. A minor’s IP PIN cannot be retrieved online later, so keep the CP01A notice somewhere safe.

Using It on Your Return

Enter the IP PIN in the designated field on your federal return. If you file jointly and both spouses have IP PINs, both numbers go on the return. A dependent’s IP PIN must also appear on an e-filed return, or the IRS will reject the filing.¹

One exception: you do not need to enter a dependent’s IP PIN on a paper return.¹ The primary and secondary taxpayer PINs are still required on paper.

If you use a tax preparer, give them the number so they can include it on your return. Share it only with the IRS and your trusted preparer. Preparers cannot request an IP PIN for you, so you have to enroll yourself and pass the number along at filing time.

If the IP PIN Is Missing or Wrong

An e-filed return with a wrong or missing IP PIN is rejected, and you have to correct the number and resubmit.³ A paper return is not rejected, but it is pulled aside for manual identity verification, which can delay your refund significantly.¹

This is where people trip up. They opt in months earlier, forget by filing season, and then cannot figure out why e-file keeps rejecting the return. If a rejection surprises you, sign in to your IRS online account and check whether you are enrolled before assuming it’s a software problem.

Retrieving a Lost IP PIN

The fastest recovery is your IRS online account. The current IP PIN is displayed on the Profile page.⁵

If you cannot get into your account, call the IRS at 800-908-4490, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time). Once a phone agent verifies your identity, a replacement IP PIN is mailed to your address on file within 21 days.⁵

Two situations block a mail reissue: you enrolled online after 2019, or it is after October 14 and you have not filed your current or prior year return. In those cases, your fallback is to file a paper return without the IP PIN and accept the processing delay while the IRS manually verifies your identity. To retrieve a minor dependent’s IP PIN, call 800-908-4490; the online retrieval tool does not support dependents.

Opting Out

If you joined voluntarily and have not been a confirmed identity theft victim, you can leave the program. Sign in to your IRS online account and use the opt-out option in the IP PIN section of your profile, or call 800-908-4490 if you cannot access the account online.¹ Allow up to 72 hours before you can e-file without an IP PIN or opt back in. If you originally enrolled through a one-time enrollment option, you are automatically removed at the end of the calendar year with no action needed. Confirmed identity theft victims cannot opt out.

1
Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
2
Internal Revenue Service. IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance: How It Works
3
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
4
Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227
5
Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)