As of Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Get an IP PIN tool is available at IRS.gov/IPPIN for taxpayers who need to retrieve a lost/missing IP PIN or certain taxpayers who want to voluntarily enter the IP PIN opt-in program.
The IP PIN is a six-digit number assigned to eligible taxpayers to help prevent the misuse of their Social Security number on fraudulent federal income tax returns. An IP PIN helps the IRS verify a taxpayer’s identity and accept their electronic or paper tax return. It prevents an identity thief from filing a tax return with a stolen SSN.
Taxpayers who are confirmed victims of identity theft will receive in the mail a CP01A Notice with their IP PIN. If they do not receive the notice in time or lose the notice, they can use the Get an IP PIN tool to retrieve their IP PIN.
The IRS also is expanding the voluntary opt-in program in phases. To be eligible for 2020, taxpayers must have filed a federal return last year as a resident of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas or Washington.
States are being added in phases until the program moves nationwide. The IRS encourages tax professionals to assist their clients who want to voluntarily opt into this IP PIN Program. See Publication 5367, the IP PIN Opt-In Program for Taxpayers (PDF, in English and Spanish), for details.
Taxpayers opting into the program must use the online tool to get an IP PIN, which includes a rigorous identity verification process. The IRS is working on other options but currently taxpayers in the opt-in program cannot call to obtain an IP PIN.
NCACPA will continue to share additional communications from the IRS once the filing season begins.