Should you’re involved about tax identification theft, your finest safety is to get a 6-digit IRS Identification Safety PIN (IP PIN) from the IRS every year.
Tax identification theft is when a thief information a tax return for you and, presumably, takes your refund. If they’ve your identify, deal with, and Social Safety Quantity, that is potential. Should you’ve ever filed a return and it’s rejected as a result of they have already got it, you’ve been a sufferer of tax identification theft.
The IRS does have proactive measures in place to detect and resolve these, it’s generally known as the Taxpayer Safety Program, however they’re typically sluggish. In the event that they see a suspicious tax return filed along with your identify and Social, they ship you a letter.
Sure. A letter. In 2026. 🤣
And in 2024, they flagged 2.4 to three.6 million returns as probably involving identification theft. Of these, they confirmed 105,000 fraudulent returns and blocked refunds.
So, if you’re involved, decide into the IRS Identification Safety PIN Program.
As soon as you decide into this system, the IRS will ship you a six digit IP PIN every year with a CP01A discover that you simply should put in your tax return or they won’t settle for it. Additionally, you will want to make use of a PIN for prior 12 months returns too.
Desk of Contents
Is Getting an IP PIN Obligatory?
Should you’ve by no means been the sufferer of identification theft, there’s no compelling motive to do that. You’re including one other layer of complexity to your tax return that’s for folk with an identification theft drawback.
Should you don’t thoughts the added complexity, there’s little draw back to doing this.
Everytime you decide into this system, you’ll get a brand new PIN every year by mail. You may as well look it up on-line, so in case you’ve misplaced the letter, you don’t must request a brand new letter and wait. Simply log in and look it up.
Ought to You Get One?
The method for getting one is pretty straightforward, particularly in case you’ve already arrange an ID.me account. That’s the half that takes the longest.
As for whether or not you need to set it up, that’s as much as you.
Should you do, right here’s learn how to get one:
1. Log into the IRS
Go to the IRS On-line account for people web page and faucet/click on on the blue “Check in or create account” button. This can take you to ID.me login or registration web page.
Should you’ve by no means completed this, it’s good to create an account and confirm your identification with a photograph of a authorities ID and a selfie. Should you aren’t comfy with sending photographs of these, you may as well have a dwell video name with an ID.me agent to verify your identification.
If you’re registering, I like to recommend utilizing a safe labeled e-mail deal with.
2. Click on on Profile
After logging in, on the prime proper, click on on Profile and also you’ll see Identification Safety PIN as an possibility within the left menu:
Click on that.
3. Enroll in IP PIN
It’s so simple as clicking on the blue “Enroll in IP PIN” button and confirming you’re enrolling into this system.
You’ll be able to decide to enroll for less than the present 12 months or you possibly can decide into this system ceaselessly.
4. Opting Out
If the IRS enrolled you into this system due to prior identification theft, you can’t decide out.
Should you voluntarily enrolled, you possibly can decide out and discontinue utilizing the PIN.
Then, yearly in January, the IRS will problem you a brand new PIN that you will want to make use of in your tax return. Should you fail to incorporate it, they gained’t settle for your return.
