The Internal Revenue Service is expanding its Identity Protection PIN opt-in program nationwide starting in January.
The IP PIN is a six-digit number that is assigned by the IRS to eligible taxpayers to help safeguard their Social Security number from being used on fraudulent federal income tax returns. An IP PIN also helps the IRS verify a taxpayer’s identity and accept their electronic or paper tax return.
The IRS made the announcement Wednesday as part of its National Tax Security Awareness Week initiative with its partners in the Security Summit, which includes major tax prep chains and software vendors, as well as state tax authorities.
The online Get An IP PIN tool at
“When you have this special code, it prevents someone else from filing a tax return with your Social Security number,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in a statement. “The fastest way to get an Identity Protection PIN is to use our online tool, but remember you must pass a rigorous authentication process. We must know that the person asking for the IP PIN is the legitimate taxpayer.”
For taxpayers who can’t pass Secure Access authentication, there are some alternatives. Taxpayers with incomes of $72,000 or less and with access to a phone can fill out a Form 15227 and mail or fax it to the IRS. An IRS employee will call the taxpayer to verify their identity by asking a series of questions. Taxpayers who pass the authentication will receive an IP PIN the following tax year.
Taxpayers who can’t verify their identities remotely or who are ineligible to file a Form 15227 can make an appointment with an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center and bring two forms of picture identification. Because this is an in-person identity verification, an IP PIN will be mailed to the taxpayer within three weeks.
Taxpayers who get an IP PIN should never share their code with anyone but their trusted tax provider. The IRS will never call to request the taxpayer’s IP PIN, and taxpayers should beware of potential IP PIN scams.
The Get an IP PIN tool will be available starting in mid-January. This is the preferred way to get an IP PIN, and it’s the only one that immediately reveals the PIN to the taxpayer. Taxpayers who want to voluntarily opt into the IP PIN program don’t need to file a Form 14039, "Identity Theft Affidavit."
The IP PIN will be valid for only one year. Each January, the taxpayer needs to get a new IP PIN. The IP PIN has to be entered properly on any electronic or paper tax return to avoid being rejected or delayed. Taxpayers with either a Social Security number or Individual Tax Identification Number who can verify their identities are eligible for the opt-in program.
Any primary taxpayer (who is listed first on the tax return), or a secondary taxpayer (who is listed second on the return) or dependent can get an IP PIN if they can pass the identity-proofing requirements. The IRS intends to offer an opt-out feature in the IP PIN program in 2022 if taxpayers decide it’s not right for them.
The IRS noted that there’s no change in the longstanding IP PIN program for confirmed victims of tax-related identity theft. Those taxpayers should still file a Form 14039 if their e-filed tax return is rejected because of a duplicate Social Security number filing. The IRS will look into their case and once the fraudulent tax return is removed from their account, confirmed victims automatically will get an IP PIN through the mail at the beginning of the following calendar year.
IP PINs will be mailed every year to confirmed identity theft victims only and participants enrolled prior to 2019. Because of security risks, confirmed ID theft victims can’t opt out of the IP PIN program. Confirmed ID theft victims can use the Get an IP PIN tool to retrieve any lost IP PINs that have been assigned to them.
