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Reviewed July 31, 2026

Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)

Request a six-digit IRS number that helps prevent someone else from filing a federal tax return using your Social Security number or ITIN.

Federal · Internal Revenue Service

An IP PIN is free, valid for one calendar year, and known only to you and the IRS. It is not the same as an e-file PIN, account password, or identity document.

Who can request an IP PIN

Anyone with a valid Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) who can complete the IRS identity-verification process may enroll. A parent or legal guardian may also request an IP PIN for a dependent. Applicants under age 18 must use one of the IRS alternative enrollment routes rather than the online account route.

Before you start

  • Use only IRS.gov or the official IRS Online Account.
  • Have the identity information needed to establish or access the online account.
  • Request a separate IP PIN for each taxpayer or dependent who needs one.
  • Do not provide the number to WhatDoIFile or enter it into a non-IRS form.

Fastest route: IRS Online Account

  1. Sign in to your IRS Online Account or create one and complete identity verification.
  2. Open the profile area and select the IP PIN section.
  3. Request the current calendar-year IP PIN.
  4. Store the six-digit number securely. If you enrolled online, return to the account each calendar year to retrieve the new number.

If you cannot enroll online

The IRS offers two alternatives. The current Form 15227 process is limited by adjusted gross income and requires telephone access for identity verification. People who cannot use that route may schedule an in-person identity-verification appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. Use the current IRS page immediately before starting because income thresholds, accepted identification, and submission instructions can change.

Use the current number when filing

  • Enter the IP PIN when tax software asks for it or give it to a trusted preparer only when the return is ready to be filed.
  • Use the IP PIN issued for the current calendar year on current-year and prior-year federal returns filed during that calendar year.
  • Each spouse or dependent with an assigned IP PIN may need that person’s own number entered in the appropriate place.
  • An incorrect or missing IP PIN can reject an electronic return or delay a paper return while the IRS verifies it.

Lost or unavailable IP PIN

First retrieve the current number from the IP PIN section of IRS Online Account. If that is not possible, follow the official IRS lost-IP-PIN instructions. Do not submit a new Form 15227 merely because an already assigned number was lost.

Protect the number

The IRS says it will not call, email, or text to ask for an IP PIN. Share it only with a trusted tax professional when preparing and submitting the return. An IP PIN does not by itself prove identity when calling or visiting the IRS.

Cost

The IRS does not charge a fee to issue an IP PIN.

Official sources

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