How an IP PIN Can Protect You From Tax Fraud
If you have been having problems with your taxes because someone has been filing tax returns in your name or claiming your kids, an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) may be an option worth exploring to prevent this from happening again.
What is an IP PIN? An IP PIN is a unique six (6) digit number that can be used on your tax return documents and your Social Security number. When you file a tax return using your IP PIN, the IRS will know that you actually filed the return and not an identity thief.
And, because the ID thief won’t know your IP PIN, they will not be able to file a tax return in your name electronically.
Additionally, if an ID thief has been claiming your kids, you can request IP PINs for them, too.
The easiest way to get an IP PIN is to request one online by going to the IRS’s “Get An Identity Protection PIN” webpage and logging in with your ID.me account. To request IP PINs for your kids or for yourself through the mail, you need to complete and send a Form 15227 for each person who needs the IP PIN to the IRS or deliver the forms in person at your local Taxpayer Assistance Center. You can find more detailed information on requesting an IP PIN here.
Once you request an IP PIN, the IRS will issue you a new IP PIN at the beginning of every year to be used on all tax returns you file that year. If you request the IP PIN online, your new annual IP PIN will be posted on your IRS online account every year, and the IRS will not mail it to you. If you request the IP PIN by mail using Form 15227, the IRS will send you the IP PIN every year (which means if you change your address, you need to immediately put in a change of address with the IRS so that your IP PIN doesn’t get mailed to your old address.)
Please note that the IRS will NEVER ask for your IP PIN in their communications with you. Any phone call, text, or email claiming to be from the IRS and asking for your IP PIN is a scam.
ID theft can cause major problems with your tax accounts, including causing the IRS to think you owe taxes that you don’t, or being unable to get the refund you deserve. In some cases, in addition to requesting an IP PIN, you may need to file an ID Theft Affidavit (Form 14039) with the IRS.
An ID Theft Affidavit can help you resolve problems for tax years that have already happened. But to stop an ID thief from filing a tax return in your name in the future or from claiming your kids again, the best protection is requesting IP PINs from the IRS!
If you have questions about this post, or think that ID theft is affecting your taxes, contact us to see if we can help! Call our intake at 215-981-3800 between 9:30am and 12pm Monday through Thursday or apply online at philalegal.org/apply.
