How to Get an IRS IP PIN for Your Dependent

To get an IRS IP PIN for a dependent, you use one of three enrollment methods: requesting it through an IRS online account, submitting Form 15227, or visiting a Taxpayer Assistance Center in person. Which one works depends mostly on the dependent’s age and whether your household income falls under the Form 15227 threshold. Most parents of minors end up using Form 15227 or an in-person visit, because children rarely have the financial history needed to pass online identity verification.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN

Why Your Dependent May Need One

A dependent ends up with an IP PIN one of two ways. The IRS enrolls them automatically after tax-related identity theft involving their Social Security Number, then mails a Notice CP01A each year with the new code.2Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP01A Notice Or a parent enrolls the dependent voluntarily to prevent identity theft before it happens. Anyone with an SSN or ITIN can opt in, and parents can request enrollment on behalf of their children.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN

The clearest sign your dependent already has one is an e-filed return that bounces back. Code IND-996 means a required IP PIN wasn’t entered; IND-995 means the PIN you entered didn’t match IRS records.3IRS. Identity Protection Either way, the dependent’s SSN is enrolled and you need the correct code before you can e-file.

Dependents with ITINs are equally eligible. The process for obtaining the PIN works the same regardless of whether the dependent has an SSN or ITIN.4Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)

Option 1: IRS Online Account

The fastest route is an IRS online account, but it only works for dependents who are 18 or older. If your adult dependent already has an IRS.gov account, they can log in and pull the current IP PIN from their profile page immediately. Without an account, they’ll create one through ID.me, the IRS’s identity verification provider.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN

ID.me requires a photo of a government-issued ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport) and a live selfie taken with a smartphone or webcam. The system matches the selfie to the ID photo.5Internal Revenue Service. New Identity Verification Process to Access Certain IRS Online Tools and Services Once verified, the IP PIN appears on screen.

Dependents under 18 cannot use this method. Even adult dependents sometimes fail ID.me if they lack the financial history the system uses to confirm identity. College students and young adults who have never filed a return often run into this wall.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN

Option 2: Form 15227

For dependents under 18, and for anyone who can’t get through ID.me, Form 15227 is usually the practical answer. You can submit it online through the IRS website rather than mailing a paper copy.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN

There’s an income cap. Your adjusted gross income on the most recently filed return must be at or below $84,000 if filing as an individual, or $168,000 if married filing jointly.6Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227 (Rev. 1-2026) Above those thresholds, you go in person instead.

After you submit, the IRS calls the phone number you provided to verify your identity. To confirm the caller is actually from the IRS, hang up and call 800-908-4490 before answering their questions.6Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227 (Rev. 1-2026) Once you’re verified, the IRS mails the IP PIN to the address on file, typically within four to six weeks. After that first enrollment, a new PIN arrives by mail every year automatically.1Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN

Option 3: Taxpayer Assistance Center Visit

When the online account won’t work and your income is too high for Form 15227, schedule an appointment at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center. It’s also the right choice when you need the PIN faster than the Form 15227 timeline, though you should still expect roughly 21 days for the PIN to arrive by mail after your visit.4Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)

Bring identification for both yourself and the dependent. For yourself: one government-issued photo ID plus one additional form of identification. For the dependent, bring two of the following:4Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)

  • Birth certificate showing name at birth, date of birth, and city of birth
  • Social Security card
  • Passport
  • Bank statements
  • Student records from grade school, high school, or college
  • A healthcare provider letter on official letterhead showing the dependent’s full name, parent or guardian name, address, and date of birth, signed by the provider

If you aren’t the dependent’s biological parent, the IRS may also ask for proof of legal guardianship. Bring court documentation establishing your guardianship so you don’t waste the trip.

Using the PIN on Your Return

When e-filing, enter the dependent’s six-digit IP PIN in the Identity Protection PIN field of your tax software. The code is required on Form 1040 and also on Form 2441 (Child and Dependent Care Expenses) and Schedule EIC (Earned Income Credit) if those apply.2Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP01A Notice Miss it or enter the wrong number and the IRS rejects the entire return immediately.

Paper returns work differently. You do not need to enter a dependent’s IP PIN on a paper-filed return. Paper returns filed without a dependent’s IP PIN still get processed, though they take longer as the IRS verifies identity manually.4Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) That’s a useful escape valve if the deadline is close and you can’t get the code in time.

Getting Next Year’s PIN

IP PINs aren’t permanent. The IRS generates a new six-digit number each year and mails it on Notice CP01A between mid-December and early January, before filing season opens.4Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) Last year’s PIN won’t work on this year’s return, so watch for that notice every winter.

If the notice never arrives, retrieval depends on age. An adult dependent with an IRS online account can log in and see the current PIN right away. For minors, online retrieval isn’t available; call 800-908-4490 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time; Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time). After phone verification, the IRS mails the new PIN within 21 days.7Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)

If you’ve moved, update your address with the IRS using Form 8822 before the notice goes out. The IRS mails IP PINs only to the address on file, and CP01A notices aren’t forwarded.8Internal Revenue Service. Notice CP01A

When Parents Share Custody

The IP PIN follows the dependent, not the parent. Whichever parent claims the child needs that child’s current IP PIN, regardless of who has physical custody or who originally enrolled the child. A non-custodial parent claiming the child using Form 8332 still needs the dependent’s IP PIN to e-file.4Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)

The parent who receives the CP01A notice holds the code, and the IRS won’t share it with the other parent directly. If you’re the non-custodial parent and can’t get the PIN from your co-parent, filing a paper return sidesteps the requirement, since dependent IP PINs aren’t needed on paper. Paper filing does delay any refund considerably compared to e-filing.