How to Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN Before You File Taxes

An IRS Identity Protection PIN is a six-digit number that helps stop someone else from filing a federal tax return with your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. It is especially useful after a data breach, lost tax document, suspected identity theft, or any situation where your taxpayer information may be exposed.

The IRS says an IP PIN is used to verify the taxpayer’s identity on federal income tax returns. If an e-filed return needs an IP PIN and the correct number is missing, the return can be rejected. A paper return without the correct IP PIN may take longer to process while the IRS verifies it.

Decide Whether an IP PIN Fits Your Situation

Consider getting an IP PIN if your Social Security number, ITIN, W-2, 1099, tax transcript, online tax account, payroll portal, or other tax-related information may have been exposed. You can also opt in as a preventive step before anything goes wrong.

The IRS has expanded IP PIN access beyond confirmed identity theft victims. That means many taxpayers can request one before tax season instead of waiting until a fraudulent return has already been filed.

An IP PIN is not a password for your IRS account, and it does not replace normal tax filing records. Think of it as a yearly filing code that belongs only on your federal tax return.

Use the Official IRS Route

Start from the IRS page for getting an Identity Protection PIN. The fastest route is through an IRS online account, where the IP PIN section appears in the profile area after identity verification.

Use IRS.gov, not lookalike domains or links from unexpected messages. The IRS also warns taxpayers to protect online account credentials and to be cautious of scammers who ask for tax data, passwords, or filing codes.

Before you begin, have enough information ready to verify your identity. Depending on your account status, you may need personal identity details, access to your email or phone, and identity verification through the IRS sign-in process.

Request the PIN Online

After signing in to your IRS online account, open your profile and look for the IP PIN section. If you are eligible and complete the steps, the IRS can provide the current year’s six-digit IP PIN online.

Save the number somewhere secure. Do not put it in an email draft, shared note, unprotected spreadsheet, or photo folder that syncs broadly across devices. Your tax preparer only needs it when preparing or filing your return, and anyone with access to the PIN may be able to misuse it.

If you use tax software, enter the IP PIN exactly where the software asks for it. If you use a tax preparer, provide the current year’s IP PIN through the preparer’s secure document process, not by ordinary text message.

Know the Alternatives if Online Access Does Not Work

If you cannot use the online tool, the IRS lists alternative enrollment options, including Form 15227 for some taxpayers and in-person identity verification at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. These routes can take longer, so they are better handled before filing pressure builds.

The online option is generally the quickest, but it may not work for everyone. The IRS notes that taxpayers under age 18 who need an IP PIN must use alternative enrollment options rather than the online request path.

If you are protecting a dependent, read the IRS instructions carefully. A dependent’s IP PIN can matter when someone tries to claim that dependent fraudulently, but the request process and retrieval options may differ from an adult taxpayer’s online account process.

Use the Right PIN for the Filing Year

An IP PIN changes every calendar year. Do not reuse last year’s number just because it worked before.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service explains that if you are filing an older return in the current calendar year, you generally use the current year’s IP PIN, not the PIN from the year shown on the old return. This detail matters for people catching up on late returns or amending filing records after identity theft.

Keep the new IP PIN with your tax documents for that filing season, then replace it when the IRS issues or lets you retrieve the next year’s number.

Retrieve a Lost IP PIN Before Filing

If you lose the number, use the IRS page for retrieving an IP PIN. The IRS says taxpayers who can verify their identity online may retrieve the current IP PIN through their online account profile.

Do not guess. A wrong or missing IP PIN can delay filing. If online retrieval is not available for your situation, follow the IRS instructions for having the PIN reissued or for using another route.

Respond Quickly if Tax Identity Theft Has Already Happened

An IP PIN helps protect future filings, but it does not erase a fraudulent return that has already been submitted. If someone used your information to file taxes, the FTC’s tax identity theft guidance points taxpayers to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan and to IRS Form 14039 when an Identity Theft Affidavit is needed.

Keep copies of IRS notices, rejected e-file messages, police reports if you made one, identity theft reports, and correspondence with tax preparers or employers. A clean record makes it easier to explain what happened if the same problem resurfaces.

Final Checklist

Before you file, confirm that you have:

• Requested the IP PIN through IRS.gov or another IRS-approved route
• Stored the current year’s six-digit PIN securely
• Entered the PIN for the taxpayer, spouse, or dependent who has one
• Used the current calendar year’s PIN, including for prior-year returns filed now
• Retrieved a lost PIN before submitting the return
• Shared the PIN only through a secure tax preparation process
• Reported confirmed tax identity theft through the official IRS or IdentityTheft.gov process

The best time to set up an IP PIN is before filing season becomes urgent. Once it is in place, treat it like a sensitive tax document: use it when needed, keep it private, and refresh it each year.