Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)

What to have ready

• Social Security number or ITIN
• A photo ID
• A phone or computer that can set up an IRS online account
• For in-person: one photo ID and one more ID

Step by step

1. Open the IRS IP PIN page. The fastest way is your IRS online account (you must register and prove who you are first).
2. Find the 'IP PIN' section in your profile and ask for a PIN.
3. Write the PIN down. Use it when you file your tax return.
4. Cannot use the online account? If last year's income was under $84,000 ($168,000 if married filing jointly), you can use Form 15227. The IRS phones you to check it is you, and the PIN arrives by mail in about 4 to 6 weeks.
5. Or book a visit at a Taxpayer Assistance Center and bring a photo ID plus one more ID. The PIN comes within about 3 weeks.
6. Get a new PIN each year, usually from mid-January to mid-November.

Open the official page

Opens irs.gov, the official website.

Good to know

• The IRS never asks for your IP PIN by phone, email or text. Anyone who does is a scammer.
• Lost your PIN? Do not file Form 15227 again. Use the IRS page for viewing or reissuing a lost IP PIN.
• Children under 18 cannot use the app or online account.

How to undo it

The IRS page does not describe a general way to drop out. Call the IRS or ask at a Taxpayer Assistance Center before relying on dropping it. People who joined by the one-time option are taken off at the end of the calendar year.

Sources

We checked these steps on November 7, 2026 against:

• irs.gov

Companies change their pages often. If something looks different, follow what the official page says.