To apply for a PIN from the IRS, go to IRS.gov/IPPIN and use the “Get an IP PIN” tool.
Taxpayers will be required to verify their identities through a rigorous process. Once taxpayers have authenticated their identities, their 2021 PIN immediately will be revealed to them, according to the IRS.
Once they’re in the program, the PIN must be used on tax returns.
The PIN is a 6-digit code known only to the taxpayer and the IRS. “This is a way to, in essence, lock your tax account, and the IP PIN serves as the key to opening that account,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a news release.
“Electronic returns that do not contain the correct IP PIN will be rejected, and paper returns will go through additional scrutiny for fraud,” he said.
The program is voluntary.
The six-digit code is valid for one calendar year. A new one is mailed to those in the program in January or February.
The IRS said never share the IP PIN with anyone but a trusted tax provider.
The IRS said it will never call, text or email requesting a person’s IP PIN, and urges taxpayers to beware of any potential scams to steal an IP PIN.
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