How to Obtain an Identity Theft PIN?
If your Income is ABOVE $72,000, use the link below to get an identity theft PIN from the IRS using their ONLINE TOOL.
https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin
If your income BELOW $72,000 you need to follow the instruction below and file Form 15227
An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number. The IP PIN is known only to you and the IRS and helps us verify your identity when you file your electronic or paper tax return.
Register for an Online Services Account
When you register for online services, we ask you to verify your identity so no one else can access your IRS online account. It takes about 15 minutes to register.
Be Prepared for the Interview
Be prepared for the interview or unfortunately you will make the situation worse. If the IRS cannot verify your identity using the information below, they will consider you to be a potential fraudster and terminate the call. It is extremely important that you prepare for the call by making sure that you have all of the information readily available that the IRS will use to verify your information.
NOTE: The IRS will only accept the information that they have available to them (i.e., if an account number for a credit card or a mortgage is listed wrong on your credit report, if your do not provide the info listed on the credit report, the IRS will consider it a wrong answer.
Have this information ready:
- Email address
- Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)
- Tax filing status and mailing address
- One financial account number linked to your name:
- Credit card – last 8 digits (no American Express, debit or corporate cards) or
- Student loan – (Enter the student loan account number provided on your statement. The account number may contain both numbers and letters. Do not include any symbols.) Additionally, we can’t verify student loans issued by Nelnet. or
- Mortgage or home equity loan or
- Home equity line of credit (HELOC) or
- Auto loan
- Mobile phone linked to your name (for faster registration) or ability to receive an activation code by mail
Help with Common Issues
If you have issues registering or logging in to IRS online services, try the steps below.
Note: For security reasons, our call center can’t assist with identity verification issues.
Your Personal Information and mailing Address
Enter the address listed on your most recently filed tax return. Make sure the address you enter exactly matches how it appears on your tax return.
- If you recently moved:
Enter the address from the last return you filed, even if it’s not your current address. We only use this address for identity verification. - If you just filed a tax return with a new address:
Try entering your old address instead. Newly submitted returns may take several weeks to process. - If you recently filed your first tax return:
Select the radio button labeled ‘I have not filed a tax return in the past seven years’ from the ‘Filing Status’ options, if available. - If you are known and addressed by a single legal name or mononym:
Please enter a hyphen (-) in the first name field and your name in the last name field. If your legal document lists “FNU”, First Name Unknown, as your first name you may need to enter “FNU” instead of “-” as your first name.
Format PO Box, foreign and military addresses as follows:
- PO Box
In the ‘Address Line 1’ field, enter ‘PO Box’ without periods and the number. - Foreign Address
Enter your city, county, province or other jurisdiction in the ‘City’ field. There’s no field for Zip/Postal code. If you have an international mailing address, the only IRS.gov tool for which you can register is the Online Payment Agreement and you must request an activation code by postal mail. Generally, taxpayers or tax professionals with international addresses will be unable to register for Get Transcript Online, View Your Tax Account, Get an Identity Protection PIN or e-Services tools for tax professionals. - Military Address
Enter APO, FPO or DPO in the ‘City’ field. Select AA, AE, or AP from the ‘State/U.S. Territory’ field.
Your Financial Account
We use Experian, a credit reporting company, to validate your financial account number. If you have issues:
- Make sure you enter the correct financial account number.
- Try entering a different account type:
- Credit card – last 8 digits (don’t use American Express, debit or corporate cards)
- Student loan– (Enter the student loan account number provided on your statement. The account number may contain both numbers and letters. Do not include any symbols.) Additionally, we can’t verify student loans issued by Nelnet.
- Home mortgage loan
- Home equity (second mortgage) loan
- Home equity line of credit (HELOC)
- Auto loan
We may not be able to verify all financial account numbers.
Your Mobile Phone
The fastest way to verify your identity is with a mobile phone number associated with your name. The phone must be U.S.-based and text-enabled. We will send a one-time activation code to your mobile phone number. Once you receive it, you have 10 minutes to use it. Note: we may not be able to verify all mobile phone numbers.
- If you don’t have a U.S.-based mobile phone number associated with your name:
You can opt to receive an activation code by mail when you register for an online services account. Allow 10 business days for delivery. This one-time code will allow you to create your account and is valid for 30 days. You can then:- Download the IRS2Go mobile app to generate the security code needed each time you log in to your account. IRS2Go is free and available for Android devices, iPhones, iPads and Amazon Fire tablets; or
- Receive a security code via phone call to a U.S.-based phone number each time you log in.
- If your mobile phone is in a family member’s name:
You can attempt to sign up using mobile phone verification. If your phone can’t be verified, you may be able to request an activation code by mail.
Receive an Activation Code by Mail
You can register for online services without a mobile phone:
- Follow the steps to register for an online services account.
- In the step for mobile phone verification, select ‘Receive an activation code by postal mail.’
- Allow 10 business days for the code to arrive by mail. The code is valid for 30 days.
- Follow the instructions included with the code to complete registration.
This one-time code will allow you to create your account. You can then:
- Download the IRS2Go mobile app to generate the security code needed each time you log in to your account. IRS2Go is free and available for Android devices, iPhones, iPads and Amazon Fire tablets; or
- Receive a security code via phone call to any U.S.-based phone number each time you log in.
Using the Online Tool When Your Income is Below $72,000
If your income is $72,000 or less and you CANNOT use the online tool, you MUST file Form 15227, Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number PDF. You must have:
- A valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
- An adjusted gross income of $72,000 or less
- Access to a telephone
IRS will use the telephone number provided on the Form 15227 to call you, validate your identity and assign you an IP PIN. For security reasons, the IP PIN cannot be used for the current filing season. You will receive your IP PIN via the U.S. Postal Service the following year and in the future.