Can I somehow get access to my IP pins from 2020-2021 tax years?

Thanks for this info. But what if I'm trying to verify some old documents where the IP PIN was used? Is there really no way to confirm what my old PIN was?

For verification purposes, there's no official way to retrieve expired IP PINs. The IRS intentionally doesn't provide access to old PINs because they're single-use security codes. If you need to verify documents from previous years, I'd recommend requesting a tax transcript which will show whether your return was accepted with the PIN you used. You can get these free through the IRS website by setting up an account at irs.gov/transcripts or by submitting Form 4506-T.

How exactly does this service work? Does it somehow have access to IRS records or something? I'm confused about how it could help with retrieving PINs if the IRS won't provide them.

This sounds interesting but I'm skeptical. What kind of access does this service have to your personal tax info? And how much does it cost to use?

The service doesn't actually retrieve old IP PINs directly - it uses AI to analyze your tax documents and filing history that you upload. It helped me understand that I didn't actually need the old PINs themselves but rather the verification that my returns were properly filed with the correct PIN at the time. It works by analyzing the documentation you already have and guiding you to the specific verification documents you can request from the IRS that don't require the old PIN. The tool showed me exactly what to request and how to interpret the transcript codes, which solved my problem completely.

Wait, you're saying this service gets you through to an IRS agent faster? How is that even possible when everyone else is waiting for hours? Sounds too good to be true.

I don't buy it. The IRS phone system is deliberately designed to be a nightmare. No way some random service can bypass that. Probably just takes your money and puts you in the same queue as everyone else.

It doesn't bypass the queue in a sketchy way - it uses technology to navigate the IRS phone tree and wait on hold for you. When it finally reaches an agent, it calls you and connects you directly to that person. The time you save is just the hold time that the system handles instead of you having to listen to the hold music yourself. The service literally just waits on hold so you don't have to. When I used it, I got a call back in about 17 minutes and was talking to an actual IRS representative who helped me understand what documentation I could request as an alternative to my old IP PINs.

This is actually really good advice! I just checked my TaxAct account and found my 2022 PIN in the old return details. Didn't have my 2020 one though since I used a different company that year.

Glad it helped someone! It's definitely hit or miss depending on the software and how they store your information. Some keep complete copies of everything while others only retain the minimum required data. Another place to check is your email - search for "IP PIN" or "Identity Protection PIN" since the IRS started sending email notifications about IP PIN availability in recent years.

Thanks for confirming this. Seems like my only option is to get transcripts to verify the returns were accepted properly. Lesson learned about keeping those notices! Do you know if getting a transcript will show if an IP PIN was used correctly, or just that the return was accepted?

The account transcript won't specifically list the IP PIN that was used, but it will show if your return was processed normally without any identity verification issues. That's generally what people need when trying to confirm past filings were handled correctly. If there had been an IP PIN mismatch or problem, you would see specific transaction codes like TC 971 with certain action codes. The absence of these problem codes on your transcript basically confirms your return was accepted with the correct IP PIN.

This is really helpful advice! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and keep getting stuck on trying to find the actual PIN numbers instead of focusing on what I really need to prove. Your point about the transcript showing clean processing being better verification than the PIN itself makes a lot of sense - it's proof that whatever PIN I used was correct at the time. I'm definitely going to start saving screenshots of those December letters too. It's so easy to lose important mail during the holidays when everything gets mixed up. Thanks for sharing your experience!

This is excellent advice! The two-pronged approach makes perfect sense. I'm actually going through something similar right now where I thought I needed my old PIN for a document verification, but after reading this thread I realize I was probably overthinking it. Your point about the IRS designing PINs to be temporary by nature really puts this in perspective. It's not that they're being difficult - it's actually a security feature that old PINs can't be retrieved. The transcript showing clean processing is probably much more valuable than having the actual PIN number would be anyway. I'm definitely going to check my old TaxSlayer account now too. I hadn't even thought about looking there, but it makes sense that some software might keep more detailed records than others. Thanks for laying out such a clear strategy!