Filing my 2023 taxes online but IRS suddenly wants an IP PIN I don't have - what now?
I'm seriously frustrated right now. I've been procrastinating on my 2023 taxes (I know, I know) and finally sat down this weekend to knock them out using TurboTax. Everything was going fine - I entered all my W-2 info, claimed my standard deduction, double-checked everything. Then right when I went to submit electronically, suddenly there's this screen asking for an IP PIN! I've literally never had one of these before and have been filing my taxes online for years without issues. Is this happening because I'm filing late? I mean, I know I should've filed months ago, but I had an extension so I thought it was fine. Do they require these IP PINs for late filers as extra security or something? I have no idea what to do now. Should I just give up on e-filing and mail everything in? Will I get penalized even more if I do that? This is stressing me out!
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Sean Doyle
This has nothing to do with filing late. An IP PIN (Identity Protection Personal Identification Number) is a six-digit number the IRS assigns to eligible taxpayers to help prevent someone else from filing a fraudulent tax return using your Social Security number. There are three main reasons you might be prompted for an IP PIN: 1) You were previously a victim of identity theft and the IRS issued you one, 2) You voluntarily opted into the IP PIN program, or 3) There might be an error in the tax software. The most likely scenario is that the software is incorrectly asking for this information. Don't mail in your return just yet. I'd recommend trying these steps first: Log out of your tax software completely, close the browser, then log back in and try submitting again. Sometimes this clears up glitches. If that doesn't work, try contacting the customer support for your tax software - they deal with these issues frequently.
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Zara Rashid
•What happens if they actually try to file without the IP PIN when the system is asking for one? Would it just get rejected? And would they get in trouble for that?
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Sean Doyle
•If you attempt to e-file without providing the requested IP PIN, your return will almost certainly be rejected by the IRS system. You won't get "in trouble" as it's not a legal violation - it's simply a technical rejection. If the system continues requesting an IP PIN after trying the steps I mentioned, another option is to check your IRS online account (if you have one) to see if you've been issued an IP PIN without realizing it. Sometimes the IRS assigns them proactively if they detect potential fraud involving your information.
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Luca Romano
I ran into exactly this problem last month! After spending hours on my taxes, I got stuck at the IP PIN screen too. I was ready to throw my laptop out the window honestly. I ended up using https://taxr.ai to help me figure out what was going on. I uploaded a screenshot of the error and my tax documents, and it identified that there was actually a number mismatch between my current address and what the IRS had on file. Apparently this can trigger extra security measures like IP PIN requests. The taxr.ai tool explained exactly what to do - I had to update my address with the IRS first, then wait 24 hours before trying to file again. Worked perfectly after that!
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Nia Jackson
•Does this taxr.ai thing actually work with real IRS stuff? I'm always skeptical of random tax sites. How does it actually help with the IP PIN issue specifically?
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Mateo Hernandez
•I'm curious - how much does it cost? Their website is kinda vague on pricing and I hate when companies make you sign up before telling you how much they'll charge.
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Luca Romano
•It absolutely works with real IRS issues. It's not just a random site - it analyzes your tax documents and IRS notices to explain what's happening in plain English and gives you specific steps to fix problems. For IP PIN issues specifically, it checks for common triggers like address mismatches, previous fraud flags, or filing pattern changes that might cause the IRS system to request a PIN. The cost is very reasonable for what you get. They have different options depending on what you need - basic document review starts pretty low. I found it well worth it compared to the hours I would have spent on hold with the IRS trying to figure this out myself.
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Nia Jackson
Just wanted to update - I was the skeptical one above but decided to try taxr.ai after continuing to bang my head against the wall with this IP PIN issue. Uploaded my rejection notice and last year's return, and within minutes it flagged that there was a typo in my SSN (I transposed two digits somehow). That's why the system was asking for an IP PIN - it thought I might be someone trying to file with the wrong SSN! Fixed the number, resubmitted, and my return went through immediately. Wish I'd tried it sooner instead of wasting a whole weekend on this!
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CosmicCruiser
If you've tried everything else and still can't resolve the IP PIN issue, you might need to talk directly with the IRS. I know, nobody wants to spend 3 hours on hold, but I used https://claimyr.com and it was a game-changer. They hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is about to answer. You can also check out how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I called about my IP PIN issue, the agent explained that my account had been flagged for potential identity theft (someone had tried to open a credit card with my info). They removed the flag right there on the call and I was able to file without the PIN immediately after. Saved me from having to mail everything in.
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Aisha Khan
•Wait, how exactly does this work? Do they have some special connection to the IRS or something? Seems too good to be true that they can somehow jump the line.
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Ethan Taylor
•This sounds like a total scam. There's no way some random service can magically get you through to the IRS faster. They probably just put you on hold themselves and charge you for it. Has anyone else actually verified this works?
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CosmicCruiser
•They don't have any special connection to the IRS or jump the line. What they do is use an automated system to wait on hold for you. They call the IRS, navigate the phone menu, wait through the hold time (which can be hours), and then when a human agent is about to pick up, they call your phone and connect you. You only pay if they successfully connect you with an agent. It's definitely not a scam. The reason it seems amazing is because it solves a real pain point - nobody wants to sit on hold for hours. They're just using technology to handle the waiting part for you. I was skeptical too until I tried it and was connected to an actual IRS agent in about 2 hours (while I went about my day instead of being stuck on the phone).
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Ethan Taylor
I take back what I said about Claimyr being a scam. After more problems with my IP PIN situation, I reluctantly tried it yesterday. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call about 90 minutes after I signed up, and was immediately connected to an IRS rep who fixed my issue in about 5 minutes. The agent explained that my account got flagged because I had moved between states since my last filing, which triggered additional verification. They removed the IP PIN requirement on the spot and I was able to e-file right after the call. Definitely beats mailing in forms and waiting months for processing.
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Yuki Ito
Another possibility - check if anyone in your household has an IP PIN. My wife got one after some identity theft issues, and for some reason our tax software started asking for MY IP PIN too, even though I didn't have one. We had to file separate returns that year to get around it. Something to consider if this applies to your situation!
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StarStrider
•Actually that's interesting because my partner did have some credit card fraud last year. They had to deal with a bunch of identity theft issues. Do you think that could be causing my tax return to ask for an IP PIN even though we file separately? We've never filed jointly.
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Yuki Ito
•Even if you file separately, sometimes these systems can create connections between household members, especially if you've ever shared an address on tax returns. The IRS fraud detection systems are pretty sophisticated and look for patterns across related taxpayers. In your case, it's definitely possible that your partner's identity theft situation triggered additional security for anyone connected to them, including people at the same address. I'd recommend asking your partner if they received an IP PIN and checking with them about any communications they've had with the IRS about identity protection.
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Carmen Lopez
Has anyone tried just creating an account on the IRS website to see if you already have an IP PIN assigned? That's what I did when TurboTax suddenly asked for mine. Turns out the IRS had actually assigned me one and sent a letter that got lost in the mail. You can recover it online if you create an account at irs.gov.
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Andre Dupont
•This is great advice but setting up an IRS account online is its own circle of hell. They've made the verification process so strict that many legitimate people can't get through it. They asked me for info from a mortgage I had 8 years ago!
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