IRS Urges Taxpayers to Activate Identity-Theft Protection Measure

The IRS building in Washington on Jan. 4, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Internal Revenue Service asked taxpayers to sign up for extra security measures ahead of the 2025 tax season by obtaining an identity protection personal identification number (IP PIN).

“[The] IP PIN is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a federal tax return using a taxpayer’s Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number,” according to an Oct. 23 statement from the agency.

This “simple yet crucial step” protects against tax-related identity theft, the agency stated, encouraging citizens to sign up before the Nov. 23, 2024, deadline.

“Signing up for an IP PIN now will ensure that a taxpayer’s identity is protected when the filing season begins. New IP PINs are generated for the 2025 filing season during this period, so online enrollees must retrieve their new IP PIN starting [in] early January 2025,” the IRS stated.

Taxpayers should sign up for an IRS Online Account, which offers an “easy way” to obtain the IP PIN, the agency said.

The IP PIN—known only to the individual and the IRS—confirms the taxpayer’s identity when filing electronically, making it difficult for malicious actors to breach and access sensitive information, according to the agency.

Taxpayers start by providing identity verification when applying through the IRS Online Account. Once verified, they can click the profile tab to request an IP PIN. After a PIN is issued, the taxpayer uses this number when filing federal returns, whether via paper or electronically.

According to the IRS, an IP PIN is valid for a period of one year, with a new number generated at the beginning of each calendar year. Some taxpayers receive their PIN via mail rather than online, the agency said.

“IP PIN users should share their number only with the IRS and their tax preparation provider. The IRS will never call, email, or text a request for the IP PIN,” the agency stated.

For those who wish to apply for an IP PIN via mail, the IRS imposes an income threshold.

This option is available to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income on their last filed return was below $79,000. For married people filing jointly, the threshold is $158,000.

The taxpayer must apply using Form 15227. The IRS will get in touch with the person for the purpose of validating their identity prior to the IP PIN being mailed.

In the case that the individual is unable to verify his or her identity with Form 15227, they can schedule an in-person meeting at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center.

“Please bring one current government-issued picture identification document and another identification document to prove your identity. Once we verify your identity, you will receive your IP PIN via the U.S. Postal Service usually within three weeks,” the agency stated.

Tax-related identity theft is a major issue for the IRS. In the 2024 filing season, the agency identified almost 1.9 million tax returns for additional review as of Feb. 29, citing suspected identity theft fraud, according to an April report by watchdog Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

More than 15,200 tax returns were confirmed to be fraudulent, preventing the issuance of more than $180 million in refunds to criminals. This is up from more than 12,600 returns in the 2023 filing season.

Security Incidents, IP PIN Reissue

Although the IRS says the IP PIN safeguards taxpayers from identity theft, there have been incidents of criminals stealing taxpayers’ IP PINs.

In 2016, there were complaints of IP PINs being compromised. According to a March 2016 blog post by cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs, the issue at the time was that the IRS allowed taxpayers to retrieve their IP PIN from the agency’s website if they provided answers to “four easy-to-guess questions.”

These questions were about things such as the previous address of the taxpayer, loan amounts, and similar matters. Criminals can either randomly guess this information or access the answers from platforms such as Facebook and Zillow, Krebs wrote.

At the time, the IRS temporarily suspended the IP PIN tool before later reinstating it with tightened security measures.

While IP PINs can be easily accessed online by taxpayers, some individuals may not be able to do so in certain cases.

In such situations, taxpayers can contact the IRS at 800-908-4490 for assistance and get their IP PIN reissued. “An assistor will verify your identity and mail your IP PIN to your address of record within 21 days,” the agency stated.

Several lawmakers have promoted IP PIN use among taxpayers. In 2021, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) asked Maine taxpayers to apply for IP PINs “to thwart tax-related identity theft.”

In June, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) also said that the IP PIN program could reduce the risk of taxpayers’ returns being fraudulently filed.