Where Is My IP PIN? Retrieve It Online, by Phone, or In Person

Your IRS Identity Protection PIN lives in three places: on Notice CP01A, which the IRS mails each December or January; inside your IRS online account at IRS.gov, available from mid-January through mid-November; and, if those fail, through a reissue request by calling the IRS identity theft unit at 800-908-4490. If you are asking where your IP PIN is because you need to file, start with the mailed notice, then move to your online account, then to the phone line, in that order.¹

Check for IRS Notice CP01A

If the IRS enrolled you in the IP PIN program as a confirmed victim of tax-related identity theft, a new Notice CP01A goes out to you every December or January with that year’s six-digit code printed on it.¹ The code changes every year, so last season’s notice is no help for this return.²

Look through the tax paperwork you set aside over the winter. The letter is plainly labeled and displays the PIN prominently. One caveat: if you joined the program voluntarily rather than being enrolled as an identity theft victim, the IRS does not mail you a CP01A at all, and you have to pull the number from your online account each year.³

Log In to Your IRS Online Account

If the CP01A is gone, or never came, sign in at IRS.gov. The IP PIN appears in the identity protection section of your profile. The tool runs from mid-January through mid-November. During the roughly two-month blackout from late November through mid-January, it is offline while the IRS generates new codes for the coming filing season.¹

Do not already have an account? You will need to create one and verify your identity through ID.me, which requires a photo of a government-issued ID and either a selfie or a live video chat with an agent.⁴ That process takes time, so if the filing deadline is close, consider the phone option below in parallel.

Call 800-908-4490 for a Reissued IP PIN

The IRS identity theft specialized unit at 800-908-4490 is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time). A representative walks you through identity verification questions, then mails the IP PIN to the address the IRS has on file. Delivery takes up to 21 days. The number will not be given out over the phone.³

Because of that three-week window, timing matters. A request made in late March may not produce a PIN in time for the April deadline. If you are close to the deadline and still waiting, see the extension note below.

Visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center

You can also book an appointment at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center. Bring two original forms of identification, including at least one current government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. Acceptable secondary documents include a Social Security card, birth certificate, voter registration card, or utility bill showing your current address.⁵

Even after in-person verification, the office will not hand you the PIN. The IRS mails the reissued code to your address of record.⁵ So this route has the same mail delay as the phone route, with an added trip.

Whose IP PIN You Actually Need on the Return

Every person on the return who has been issued an IP PIN has to have that PIN entered. That includes you, your spouse on a joint return, and any dependents. If only one spouse has a PIN, only that spouse’s code goes on the return; the other spouse does not need to get one simply because you file jointly.²

For dependents with an IP PIN, the rules split by filing method:

On an e-filed return, the dependent’s IP PIN must be entered on Form 1040 and, where relevant, on Form 2441 (Child and Dependent Care Expenses) and Schedule EIC. Miss it and the return is rejected.
On a paper return, a dependent’s IP PIN is not required.

The same works in reverse: if someone can claim you as a dependent and you have an IP PIN, you have to give it to them so they can e-file.³

If the Deadline Is Coming and You Still Do Not Have It

An e-filed return with a missing or wrong IP PIN comes back rejected. The rejection code tells you which SSN or ITIN triggered the problem, so you know whether to look for your PIN, your spouse’s, or a dependent’s. Fix it and resubmit.³ A paper return with a missing or wrong IP PIN is not outright rejected, but it goes through manual identity verification, which delays processing and any refund.²

The IP PIN is required only on federal income tax returns in the 1040 series. You do not need it for a state return, and you do not need it for Form 4868, the automatic extension request.³ So if a reissued PIN is not going to arrive before April, file Form 4868 to get more time and avoid the late-filing penalty, then submit the return once the PIN is in hand.

Watch Out for IP PIN Scams

The IRS will not contact you by email, text message, or social media to ask for your IP PIN. Share it only with a tax preparer you trust. Messages that pressure you for personal information, threaten arrest or deportation, or demand immediate payment are scams.⁶

Watch for misspelled web addresses meant to imitate IRS.gov. The only legitimate ways to retrieve your IP PIN are through your IRS online account, by calling 800-908-4490, or in person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center.³

1
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
2
Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP01A Notice
3
Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
4
Internal Revenue Service. How to Register for IRS Online Self-Help Tools
5
Internal Revenue Service. Contact Your Local IRS Office
6
Internal Revenue Service. Recognize Tax Scams and Fraud