is yours Social security number and other personal data floating around on the dark web? We have seen a remarkable number hacking by 2024, affecting hundreds of millions of people, many of whom are American taxpayers.

This tax year, the The IRS recommends every taxpayer protects his income tax against identify theft by applying for one IP PINa unique identifier that prevents someone else from registering income tax with your name and social security number. The catch? The program will close on Saturday 23 November for maintenance, with a planned reopening in “early January 2025”.

Tax-related identity theft has become a booming business – it The IRS Taxpayer Protection Program flagged 2.8 million tax returns for suspected identity fraud during the 2024 tax season. You may not even know you’ve been scammed until you file your tax return and it’s rejected due to duplicate personal information. You have recourse with the IRS for identity theft, but you are in for a long process, and your tax refund will be delayed.

Learn how an IRS IP PIN works, why the IRS recommends you get one, and why the IRS may send you one automatically. For more tax tips, read on what a Trump administration could mean for the child tax credit and learn if you have to pay tax on student loan forgiveness.

What is an IRS Identity Protection PIN?

An IRS Identity Protection PIN is a unique six-digit password that can protect taxpayers from tax-related identity fraud. The code is known only to the individual taxpayer and the IRS and should only be shared with trusted tax preparers.

Taxpayers who have been victims of tax-related identity fraud in the past can obtain an IP PIN from the IRS. If so, you should get one CP01A message by post with your six-digit code each year.

How do I create an IP PIN for my taxes?

Taxpayers can create their own IP PIN in minutes at Get a PIN page for identity protection on the IRS website. You must create an online IRS account and verify your identity first if you have not already done so.

If you don’t want to create an IRS account or request an IP PIN online, you can also submit an IRS Form 15227 which is “Application for a Personal Identification Number for Identity Protection,” but only if your adjusted gross income on your most recent tax return was less than $73,000 for single filers, or less than $146,000 for married filing jointly.

After completing Form 15227, you will receive a phone call from the IRS to confirm your identity and then receive your IP PIN in the mail in approximately four to six weeks.

You can also obtain an IP PIN from a local IRS Tax Assistance Center. You can find a place and schedule an appointment by calling 844-545-5640. You must bring two forms of identification, one of which must be a government-issued photo ID.

How do I use my IRS IP PIN?

After you receive an IP PIN from the IRS, you must enter it on any of the 1040 forms you use to file taxes, including 1040-NR, 1040-PR, 1040-SR, and 1040-SS. You enter the IP-PIN code at the end of the form on the line where you sign your tax return.

If you use tax software to file your tax return, each program will have a step in its filing process where it asks you for your IP PIN. If you and your spouse are applying jointly and both have IP PINs, you must enter both.

If you file electronically and do not include your IP PIN, your tax return will be rejected. If you submit paper forms and forget to include your IP PIN, your return will be delayed for further processing to verify your identity.

Each IP PIN only lasts for one year, so you must create a new PIN each tax season if you want continued identity theft protection. The online IP PIN generator tool is available from mid-January to mid-November.

If you received an IP PIN from the IRS via CP01A notice, you will continue to receive a new PIN in the mail each year before tax season in December or January. The IRS says, “taxpayers who enrolled in the IP PIN program and have not been the victim of tax-related identity theft may opt out of the IP PIN program through their online account.”

I created my own IP PIN for the first time for my 2022 taxes. Sure enough, when I logged into my account to file my 2023 taxes in April 2024, another six-digit code was waiting for me.

What if I lost or never received my IRS IP PIN?

Taxpayers who generated an IP PIN or received one from the IRS and later lost or forgot the code must pick it up to register taxes electronically.

If you created an IP PIN using the IRS online self-service tool, you can simply go back to the IP PIN generator to find your PIN again. Log in to your IRS online account and visit Get a PIN code for identity protection page again. The IRS warns, “You may be required to verify your identity again due to our increased account security.”

If you received a CP01A notice with an IP PIN and lost it or never received it, you must call a special IRS phone number: 800-908-4490. After the agency has verified your identity, you will receive your IP PIN by mail within 21 days.

The IRS has an odd exception for retrieving an IP PIN from a CP01A message. You cannot retrieve the IP PIN after October 14 if you have not filed a 1040 or 1040 PR/SS form for the current and prior year.

In the rare case, the IRS recommends that you file your taxes on paper. Filing on paper without a required IP PIN will cause a processing delay but will also trigger identity verification for your tax return, which will likely resolve your situation.