How to Set Up an IRS Identity Protection PIN

What an IP PIN Actually Protects — and Who Should Get One

An Identity Protection PIN, or IP PIN, is a six-digit number the IRS assigns to you alone. Once you have one, nobody can file a federal tax return using your Social Security number without entering that exact code — not you filing online, not a preparer e-filing on your behalf, and not a scammer who stole your SSN from a data breach. If the number on a return doesn’t match, the IRS rejects the e-filed return outright or flags a paper one for extra scrutiny, according to IRS.gov.

This matters because tax-refund identity theft doesn’t require much: a thief with your name, SSN, and birth date can file a fake return early in the season and claim your refund before you ever sit down with your own paperwork. The IP PIN closes that door.

The program used to be invitation-only, offered mainly to confirmed identity-theft victims. Since 2021, it’s open to any taxpayer who can verify their identity — you don’t need to have been a victim of anything to opt in. Setup takes 15 to 30 minutes if you verify online, longer if you need an in-person or mail option. The number is good for one calendar year only; the IRS issues you a new one every January, so this isn’t a “set it once and forget it” task.

Before You Start: What to Gather

Have these ready before you open the IRS tool, so you’re not hunting for documents mid-session:

Social Security number or ITIN for yourself (and for each family member you’re enrolling separately — IP PINs are per person, not per household).
A government-issued photo ID — driver’s license, state ID, or passport.
Your filing status and prior-year tax return on hand, since identity verification sometimes asks about figures from a past return (like your AGI).
A smartphone or computer with a camera, if you’re verifying through ID.me’s facial-match step.
A cell phone number in your name (not a VoIP or prepaid line tied to someone else), since text verification is part of the process for some users.

If you’re trying to get an IP PIN for a child or a dependent who doesn’t have their own online presence yet, know going in that the process is different — more on that below.

Setting Up Your IP PIN Online, Step by Step

The fastest and most common route is the IRS’s “Get an IP PIN” tool, built on the same identity-verification system (ID.me) the IRS uses for online tax accounts.

Go to IRS.gov and find the “Get an IP PIN” tool. Search “Get an IP PIN” on IRS.gov or navigate through the Identity Theft Protection section. Don’t use a link from an email or text claiming to be the IRS — the agency does not initiate IP PIN enrollment by email, text, or phone call.
Create or sign in to your ID.me account. If you already have an IRS Online Account from checking a refund or viewing a transcript, sign in with those same credentials. If not, you’ll create a new ID.me profile, a third-party identity-verification provider the IRS uses as the sign-in gateway for its online tools.
Upload your photo ID and complete the selfie match. The tool will ask you to photograph your driver’s license or passport, then take a live selfie so facial-recognition software confirms the ID is really you. If the match fails — bad lighting, a blurry photo, an expired ID — you’ll be prompted to retry or switch to a live video call with an ID.me agent.
Finish the remaining ID.me verification steps. You’ll confirm your Social Security number and personal details and set up multifactor authentication, such as a code sent to a phone in your name. If self-service verification can’t confirm you, ID.me offers a video call with a live agent instead.
Confirm your identity is accepted and retrieve your IP PIN. Once verified, the tool displays your six-digit PIN immediately on screen. Write it down or save it somewhere secure — the IRS will not re-display it to you casually later; you’d need to log back in to your account to view it again.
Store the PIN where you (and your tax preparer, if you use one) can find it at filing time. You’ll need to enter it on your federal return — line instructions vary slightly by form, but on Form 1040 it goes in the signature section. If you e-file through software, there’s a dedicated IP PIN field during the filing interview.

If verification fails: Don’t panic and don’t keep retrying with the same mismatched information. The tool will tell you whether the issue was the photo match, the knowledge-based questions, or something else. You can usually switch to a live video chat with an ID.me representative mid-process to finish verification that way instead of starting over.

If You Can’t Verify Online: Other Paths to an IP PIN

Not everyone passes identity verification online — thin credit files, a recent move, or a name change can all trip up the knowledge-based questions. You have two fallback options.

Form 15227: online guided submission, mail, or fax

If your adjusted gross income on your last filed return is below $84,000 (individuals) or $168,000 (married filing jointly) and you have a phone number in your name, you can submit Form 15227, Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number, through the IRS’s online guided submission tool or by mail or fax. After the IRS receives it, an agent calls you to verify your identity over the phone using information from your prior-year return. If that call confirms your identity, you’ll get an IP PIN by mail, usually within four to six weeks — not immediately. After that, your IP PIN is mailed to you each year. This route is slower, so it’s not a good fit if you’re racing a filing deadline.

In-person option: Your local Taxpayer Assistance Center

If you don’t qualify for Form 15227 or the phone verification doesn’t pan out, you can schedule an appointment at a local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. Bring two forms of identification, one of them photo ID. An IRS employee verifies you face-to-face, and your IP PIN arrives by mail about three weeks later. Find your nearest office and book an appointment through the “Contact Your Local IRS Office” page on IRS.gov — walk-ins are generally not accepted.

Enrolling a spouse or dependent

Each person who wants IP PIN protection needs their own enrollment. A spouse who files jointly with you needs to go through the same online tool, Form 15227, or in-person process under their own SSN. For a dependent — say, a teenager who’s starting to file their own return, or a child whose SSN has already been compromised — the online tool generally isn’t available, since an ID.me account requires the user to be at least 18. Under IRS FAQ guidance added in January 2026, if your dependent is under 18 or can’t set up an ID.me account, you can submit Form 15227 on their behalf — including through the online guided submission — with a Taxpayer Assistance Center appointment as the fallback.

Mistakes That Slow Things Down or Get Returns Rejected

Trying to enroll during the IRS’s maintenance window. The online “Get an IP PIN” tool is usually taken offline for scheduled maintenance from mid-November through early-to-mid January each year. If the tool isn’t working in late fall, that’s often why — try again in the new year, well before the filing season opens.
Losing the PIN and not retrieving it before filing. If you forget your IP PIN, don’t guess or reuse last year’s number — it’s only valid for one calendar year. Log back into your IRS Online Account to view the current one, or call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit for a reissue, which arrives by mail and can take about three weeks.
Entering the wrong PIN on an e-filed return. A mismatched or missing IP PIN causes an instant e-file rejection, not a quiet delay. Software usually flags this before transmission — double-check the digits against your IRS account rather than memory.
Falling for phishing attempts that ask for your IP PIN. The IRS will never call, text, or email asking you to “confirm” or “verify” your IP PIN. Treat any such request as fraudulent and report it, since your IP PIN itself is sensitive data — guard it the way you’d guard a bank PIN.
Assuming a paper return doesn’t need it. If you’re enrolled in the IP PIN program, you must include the PIN on paper returns too. Leaving it off doesn’t speed up a paper filing — it typically triggers extra identity-verification correspondence from the IRS, adding weeks.

Checking Your Status and What Happens Each Year

When you enroll online you now choose between two options. With continuous enrollment, there’s no annual re-application — the IRS generates a new IP PIN for you each year and makes it available through your Online Account at IRS.gov, generally from mid-January through mid-November. With one-time enrollment, you’re in the program for the current calendar year only and are automatically opted out at year-end. Mark a calendar reminder for early January to log in and retrieve the new number before you start your taxes, since the one you used last filing season won’t work again.

To opt out later, you can use the opt-out option in the IP PIN section of your IRS Online Account profile — generally available if you enrolled voluntarily and were not a confirmed identity-theft victim — though the IRS generally recommends staying enrolled once you’ve started, especially if your information has ever appeared in a data breach.

If you’re mailing in Form 15227 or went the in-person route, your PIN confirmation letter (IRS Notice CP01A) arrives by mail each December or January with the upcoming year’s number — keep an eye out for it and store it with your tax documents.

Sources

IRS, “Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)” — https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin
IRS, Form 15227, Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number — search “15227” under Forms & Instructions on IRS.gov
IRS, “Your Online Account” — https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account
IRS, “Contact Your Local IRS Office” — https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office
IRS, “Identity Theft Central” — https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central

Check the official source →

This article is for general information only and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Program rules change and vary by state — always confirm details with the official agency (.gov) before acting.