Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN immediately if you don't have one - critical tax security measure

Tax professional here. This is absolutely solid advice. The Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) program is one of the most effective security tools the IRS offers, yet many taxpayers don't know about it until after they've already been victimized. Some important things to know about IP PINs: - They're valid for one calendar year (January through December) - You'll get a new one each year (usually by mail or in your online account) - You MUST have this number to file your return electronically if you're enrolled - If you lose your IP PIN, you can retrieve it from your online IRS account - Spouses need their own separate IP PINs The best part is that the IRS has made this available to all taxpayers nationwide as of 2021. Previously it was limited to identity theft victims and residents of certain high-risk states. To get yours, go to the IRS website and use the "Get an IP PIN" tool. You'll need to verify your identity through their secure access process. If you can't complete the online process, there are alternative methods available.

After reading the original post, I decided to try taxr.ai for help understanding the IP PIN program better. My parents had been victims of tax identity theft a few years ago, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything important about protecting myself. I uploaded my most recent tax transcript to https://taxr.ai and asked specifically about identity protection options. The tool walked me through exactly how the IP PIN protects your tax account and even helped me understand which sections of my transcript might indicate potential security issues. It was way more helpful than just googling random tax advice!

Just wanted to update everyone. Based on the recommendation about taxr.ai, I decided to check it out myself since I've been putting off getting an IP PIN for months because the IRS instructions confused me. I uploaded my notice from the IRS about setting up an account (which I had failed at twice before) and asked what I was doing wrong. Turns out I was making a simple mistake with my address format! The AI spotted it immediately from the error code on my notice. Got my IRS account set up last night and applied for my IP PIN - approved instantly! Now I feel so much better knowing my tax return will be protected this year. Sometimes you just need things explained in plain English instead of IRS-speak.

For anyone who's tried to call the IRS about IP PIN issues - good luck. I spent FOUR HOURS on hold last week trying to resolve an issue where my IP PIN letter never arrived, and I couldn't verify my identity online because my phone was registered to my husband's name. Finally found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Their site is https://claimyr.com and they have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After trying for weeks to get through on my own, it was a huge relief to actually talk to someone who could help me. The IRS agent was able to verify my identity over the phone and mail me a new IP PIN letter.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After being super skeptical, I decided to try it as a last resort because I couldn't get through to the IRS about my IP PIN issue (my online account kept saying "information doesn't match our records"). I was 100% prepared to come back here and report it was a scam, but I'm shocked to say it actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back in about 20 minutes, and next thing I knew I was talking to an actual IRS person! The agent was able to verify my information and manually trigger an IP PIN letter to be sent. So yeah, apologies for the skepticism. Sometimes things that sound too good to be true actually do work. Got my IP PIN yesterday and already filed my return. What a relief!

Quick question for anyone who knows - if I get an IP PIN now, does it protect my previous tax returns or only future ones? My cousin just had someone try to file an amended return for her 2022 taxes to steal her refund.

Just a heads up for anyone with dependents - you can (and probably should) get IP PINs for your kids too! I didn't realize children's Social Security numbers are actually MORE valuable to identity thieves because they have clean credit histories and the fraud often isn't discovered for years.