IRS Identity Protection PIN: How to Get One Before the Mid-November Shutdown

By Web Asset House Studio · October 29, 2026

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How we wrote this: A summary of the IRS's "Get an identity protection PIN" page, its IP PIN FAQ and news release IR-2026-127 (October 22, 2026), all linked below and checked October 29, 2026. This is general information, not advice for your situation.

An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number that stops someone else from filing a federal tax return with your Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). Only you and the IRS know it. If a return arrives with your number but without the right PIN, the IRS rejects it (e-file) or holds it until it can verify who filed (paper).

Self-employed people and small employers hand their SSNs to a lot of clients, payroll services and banks, which is one reason the IRS keeps reminding people that the PIN exists. Anyone can opt in, even if they aren't required to file a return.

Timing: the online tool goes offline in mid-November

In IR-2026-127 the IRS says people who plan to file early in 2027 should request an IP PIN before the online system goes down for annual maintenance in mid-November. It is generally available again from mid-January. The IRS's main IP PIN page says the same thing from the other side: the PIN is generally viewable in your online account from mid-January through mid-November.

So if you want a PIN on your 2026 return and you file in late January or February, the next few weeks are the easy window.

Who can get one

Anyone with an SSN or ITIN who can verify their identity. Parents and legal guardians can also request one for a dependent. If the IRS's records show you were a victim of tax-related identity theft, you're enrolled automatically.

Three ways to get an IP PIN

Route	Who it's for	How you receive the PIN
IRS online account (Profile tab, IP PIN section)	Fastest. You must create an account and verify your identity first. Under 18? Use another route.	In your online account (the IRS calls this the fastest way); you retrieve each new PIN online
Form 15227 (online application)	Adjusted gross income on your last filed return below $84,000 ($168,000 married filing jointly), and you can't set up an online account	The IRS calls the number you provide to verify you, then mails the PIN, usually within 4 to 6 weeks, and mails one each year after
In person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center (appointment line 844-545-5640)	Anyone who can't use the first two	Bring a federal or state photo ID plus one more form of ID; the PIN is mailed, usually within 3 weeks, and each year after

For a dependent, the FAQ says a dependent who is 18 or older can use their own online account. If they're under 18, or can't verify online, you can file Form 15227 for them or book an in-person appointment and bring your own ID plus two documents for the child (for example a birth certificate and Social Security card).

One-time or continuous enrollment

When you enroll through the online account you pick one of two options:

Continuous enrollment: you stay in the program this year and future years, and a new PIN is generated every calendar year.
One-time enrollment: you're covered for the current calendar year only and automatically opted out at the end of it.

If you opted in online, the IRS does not mail a CP01A notice. You log in each January to get the new PIN. People enrolled because of confirmed identity theft get a CP01A notice by mail, sent from mid-December through early January.

Voluntary participants who weren't identity-theft victims can opt out from the IP PIN section of the online account. Allow up to 72 hours after opting out before e-filing without a PIN.

Using the PIN when you file

It goes only on Forms 1040, 1040-NR, 1040-PR, 1040-SR, 1040-SS and 1040-X. Don't put it on a Form 4868 extension or your state return.
It applies to every federal return you file during that calendar year, including prior-year and amended returns.
On a joint return, each spouse who has a PIN enters their own. If you claim a dependent who has a PIN, it goes on the e-filed return too (and on Form 2441 and the Earned Income Credit schedule, if you file them). Paper returns don't need the dependent's PIN.
Your tax software asks for it; on paper, it goes in the "Identity Protection PIN" boxes in the signature area.
A missing or wrong PIN gets an e-filed return rejected and slows a paper one down.

Lost it? Log in to your online account to see it, or call 800-908-4490 to have it reissued by mail within about 21 days.

Scams to ignore

The IRS will never ask for your IP PIN; phone calls, emails or texts asking for it are scams. Share it only with the tax professional preparing your return, and only when you're ready to file. More on fake-agency contacts: government impersonation scams.