IRS Verification Code: How to Get, Use, and Replace It

An IRS verification code is a number you enter when filing a tax return or signing in to your IRS account to prove the request is really coming from you. The one most people mean when they search for it is the Identity Protection PIN, or IP PIN: a six-digit code that blocks anyone else from filing a federal return using your Social Security number or ITIN.¹ Any taxpayer with a valid SSN or ITIN can request one, and the IRS now encourages every taxpayer to sign up as a precaution rather than waiting to become an identity-theft victim.²

Two other IRS codes get confused with the IP PIN. The Self-Select PIN is a five-digit number you choose as your electronic signature when e-filing Form 1040 or Form 4868, and it has nothing to do with identity protection.³ A one-time passcode is the temporary code texted to your phone or generated by an authentication app when you log in to IRS.gov.⁴ The rest of this guide is about the IP PIN, since that’s the code that will get your return rejected if it’s wrong or missing.

How to Get an IP PIN

There are three ways to enroll, and which one you use depends on whether you can verify your identity online.

Online Through Your IRS Account

The fastest route is your IRS.gov online account. If you don’t have one, you’ll create it and verify your identity through ID.me. Have a government-issued photo ID ready (driver’s license, state ID, or passport), a personal email address, and a phone that can receive texts or run an authentication app.⁴ Once you’re in, the IP PIN appears in the IP PIN section of your profile page.¹

By Mail Using Form 15227

If online verification doesn’t work for you, submit Form 15227 by mail or fax. This route is only open to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income on the most recently filed return is $84,000 or less ($168,000 or less for married filing jointly).⁵ You also need a working telephone, because the IRS calls to verify your identity before issuing the PIN. The form goes to the IRS office in Fresno, California, or by toll-free fax to 855-807-5720.⁶

In Person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center

If neither the online tool nor Form 15227 fits your situation, book an appointment at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center by calling 844-545-5640. Bring a government-issued photo ID and a second form of identification.⁵

Your IP PIN Changes Every Year

An IP PIN is good for one calendar year. Every January the IRS generates a new one for your account. If you enrolled voluntarily, the IRS does not mail the new number; you have to log in to your online account to retrieve it. The current PIN is generally viewable there from mid-January through mid-November.¹ Confirmed identity-theft victims, on the other hand, receive their new PIN in a CP01A Notice by mail each December or January.⁷

This is where people trip up. Using last year’s number on this year’s return will get it rejected, exactly as if the field were blank.

Using the PIN on Your Return

Enter your IP PIN on any federal return you file during the year, including returns for prior tax years. It applies to Forms 1040, 1040-NR, 1040-PR, 1040-SR, and 1040-SS. Tax software will prompt you for the number; if a preparer files for you, you’ll need to share it with them.⁵

An e-filed return with the wrong IP PIN, or none at all, is rejected on the spot, and you’ll need to retrieve the correct number and resubmit.⁵ A paper return without the PIN isn’t rejected outright, but it goes through extra identity screening that delays processing and any refund.

If you file jointly and both spouses have IP PINs, both numbers have to be on the return. Same rule for a dependent who has been assigned a PIN: it must appear on the return that claims them.⁵

If You Lost Your IP PIN

Log in to your IRS.gov online account. Your current PIN sits on your profile page.⁸ If you received yours by mail as an identity-theft victim, check the most recent CP01A Notice.⁷ For a minor dependent’s PIN, the online tool won’t help; call 800-908-4490 instead. If you can’t get into your online account at all, schedule an in-person appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center by calling 844-545-5640 and bring identity documents.⁵

Watch for Fake Verification Requests

The IRS will not email, text, call, or message you on social media to ask for personal or financial information, and it will not ask you to “verify” a PIN through any of those channels. Initial contact from the IRS comes as a letter through the U.S. Postal Service.⁹ If a message shows up asking you to share a code or click a link, don’t respond. Forward suspicious emails to phishing@irs.gov and delete them. If you believe someone has already filed a fraudulent return in your name, call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490.¹⁰

1
Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
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Internal Revenue Service. IRS Encourages All Taxpayers to Sign Up for an IP PIN for the 2025 Tax Season
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Internal Revenue Service. Self-Select PIN Method for Forms 1040 and 4868 Modernized e-File MeF
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Internal Revenue Service. Creating an Account for IRS.gov
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Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number IP PIN
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Internal Revenue Service. Form 15227 – Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number
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Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP01A Notice
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Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your Identity Protection PIN IP PIN
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Internal Revenue Service. Heres How to Avoid IRS Text Message Scams
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Internal Revenue Service. Reporting Identity Theft