Identity Protection PINs (“IPPINs”)

Identity protection PINs, or IP PINs, are six-digit codes that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues to taxpayers to help prevent the misuse of their personal information. If you’re a taxpayer, you should strongly consider getting an IP PIN to protect yourself from tax-related identity theft.

Identity theft is a growing problem, and tax-related identity theft is a common form of this crime. Criminals may use your personal information to file a tax return in your name and claim a fraudulent refund. If this happens, you may not be able to file your own tax return until the issue is resolved, which can be a long and frustrating process.

An IP PIN can help protect you from tax-related identity theft by acting as an additional layer of security on your tax account. When you file your tax return, you’ll need to include your IP PIN to confirm that you are the rightful owner of the tax account. This makes it much harder for someone else to use your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return.

Getting an IP PIN is easy and free. The IRS will automatically send you an IP PIN if you’re a victim of tax-related identity theft or if you’re eligible for certain tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. If you don’t receive an IP PIN automatically, you can request one through the IRS’s online tool, “Get an IP PIN.”

Note that the online tool is down for maintenance and won’t be back up until later this month (January 2023). However, if your income was below $73,000 for single taxpayers or below $146,000 for married filing jointly taxpayers, you may be able to file a paper application instead.

After obtaining your IP PIN, you will automatically be mailed a new one from the IRS each year to include with your tax returns for the tax period noted in the letter.

Even if you haven’t been a victim of tax-related identity theft, you should consider getting an IP PIN to protect yourself in the future. It’s a simple and effective way to secure your tax account and prevent identity thieves from using your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return.