Help! 2025 Identity Theft Prevention PIN number never arrived from IRS
I've got a weird situation going on. For the past three years I've been using an identity theft prevention PIN number from the IRS when filing my taxes, and they've always mailed it to me without any issues. But this year, I never received my PIN for 2025! I didn't realize this was a problem at first because I filed for an extension, but now I'm stuck. I can't submit my tax return without the PIN, and we all know how impossible it is to actually reach anyone at the IRS. I've tried calling multiple times but just keep getting transferred or disconnected. I'm getting worried because my extended deadline is approaching fast. Should I just file without the PIN and hope for the best? Would the IRS eventually verify my identity later? I really don't want to be hit with massive late penalties, but I also don't want my return to be rejected. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Aurora St.Pierre
This is actually a common issue this year. The IRS has been experiencing delays with sending out Identity Protection PINs. You definitely don't want to file without your IP PIN if you've been assigned one - your return will likely be rejected automatically. Instead, go to the IRS website and use the "Get an IP PIN" tool in their online account system. If you already have an IRS online account, you can retrieve your IP PIN there. If you don't have an account yet, you'll need to create one with ID verification. Here's the direct link you should use: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin If you can't verify your identity online (which happens to many people), you can request a PIN by filing Form 15227, but that's for next year. For your current situation, I'd recommend calling the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. They're more focused on IP PIN issues specifically and might be easier to reach than the general IRS line.
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Christopher Morgan
•Thank you so much for this info! I didn't realize there was a specific tool to retrieve the IP PIN online. I'll try that first thing tomorrow. One question though - will this work even if I've already been assigned a PIN for this year but just didn't receive it? And if I can't get through online, is that specialized unit number typically easier to reach than the main IRS number?
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Aurora St.Pierre
•Yes, this will absolutely work even if you've already been assigned a PIN - that's exactly what the tool is designed for! Your PIN has been generated in their system, you just need to retrieve it. The specialized unit is generally a bit easier to reach than the main IRS customer service line, though I still recommend calling early in the morning when they first open. Another tip: if you have any tax documents from previous years, have them handy when you create your online account as they may ask verification questions based on prior returns.
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Grace Johnson
I had the exact same problem last month! After trying the main IRS number for days with no luck, I ended up using taxr.ai to help me retrieve my IP PIN. I scanned my previous tax documents and their AI analyzed everything and gave me step-by-step instructions to retrieve my PIN online, even though I kept getting errors when trying on my own. Check them out at https://taxr.ai - their document analysis helped identify why my online verification kept failing (I had moved and my address didn't match what the IRS had on file). Saved me from having to keep calling the IRS over and over!
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Jayden Reed
•Does it actually work for IP PINs specifically? I thought taxr.ai was just for regular tax questions. Did you have to create an account with them? I'm worried about giving my info to random websites.
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Nora Brooks
•I'm a little skeptical about using third-party services for accessing IRS information. Wasn't it expensive? And how do you know they're secure enough to trust with your sensitive tax documents?
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Grace Johnson
•Yes, it works specifically for IP PIN issues because they analyze your documents and help identify why you might be having trouble accessing your information through the IRS system. It's not just for general tax questions. You do create an account, but their system uses bank-level encryption and they don't store your sensitive documents after analysis. That was a big concern for me too, so I researched their security protocols before using it. They just helped identify the issue (my address mismatch) and walked me through fixing it so I could access my IP PIN through the official IRS system.
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Jayden Reed
Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it actually worked! My situation was similar but slightly different - turns out I had an old phone number on file with the IRS which was causing my identity verification to fail when trying to access my IP PIN. The document analysis picked up on inconsistencies between my current info and what the IRS had on file. Was able to fix the issue and retrieve my PIN online instead of waiting on hold forever. Definitely worth checking out if you're still having trouble!
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Eli Wang
If you're still struggling to reach the IRS, I had success using Claimyr to get through to an agent about my IP PIN issue. I was in the same boat - couldn't get my PIN and kept getting disconnected or facing hour-long wait times. Claimyr saved me so much frustration by handling the waiting and connecting me directly to an IRS agent. When they called me back, I was already connected to someone who could help! Check out https://claimyr.com or watch how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they wait on hold so you don't have to. The IRS agent I talked to was able to verify my identity and give me my IP PIN over the phone.
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Christopher Morgan
•That sounds interesting but also a bit confusing. So they just...wait on hold for you? How does that actually work? Do they have some kind of special access to the IRS or something?
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Nora Brooks
•Yeah right. No way this actually works. The IRS doesn't just give out IP PINs over the phone to random third parties. Sounds like a scam to me. Has anyone actually verified this service is legitimate?
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Eli Wang
•They don't have special access - they just have a system that waits on hold so you don't have to. You give them your phone number, and when they reach an IRS agent, they connect the call to you. You're the one who talks directly to the IRS, not them. They never have access to your personal information. They don't get your IP PIN for you - they just get you connected to an actual IRS agent. Then you speak directly with the agent who can verify your identity and help with your IP PIN. I was skeptical too, but when I was connected to a real IRS agent who solved my problem in minutes, it was worth it.
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Nora Brooks
I need to apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. After researching more and seeing so many people had success, I decided to try it myself since I was also missing my IP PIN. It actually worked exactly as described - they waited on hold (for almost 2 hours!) and then called me when they reached an agent. The IRS representative verified my identity, confirmed my old PIN had been sent to an outdated address, and helped me update my contact info. They were able to give me my IP PIN over the phone after verifying several security questions. I filed my taxes the same day after weeks of stressing about it. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong!
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Cassandra Moon
Have you checked if your address is correct in the IRS system? I learned the hard way that if you moved and didn't file a change of address form (Form 8822), the IRS might be sending your stuff to your old address. They don't automatically update your address even if you put a new one on your most recent return.
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Zane Hernandez
•This is super important! My neighbor had this exact problem. She filed with her new address but the IRS was still sending her stuff to her old place. The post office forwarding service had expired so she never received her IP PIN letter. She had to call the IRS and specifically request an address update in their system.
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Christopher Morgan
•That's a great point! I did move about a year and a half ago, and while I used my new address on last year's return, I never submitted the specific change of address form. Maybe that's why I didn't get the PIN letter. Would updating my address now help me get this year's PIN, or is it too late for that?
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Cassandra Moon
•Updating your address now won't get them to automatically send a new PIN letter for this year, unfortunately. The system doesn't work that way. But it's still worth updating your address for future communications. For your current situation, your best bet is still to retrieve the PIN online using the "Get an IP PIN" tool or contact the specialized unit as others have suggested. The PIN exists in their system assigned to you - you just need to retrieve it since the letter didn't reach you.
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Genevieve Cavalier
Just adding a data point - I also never received my IP PIN this year despite getting it fine for the past two years. I ended up using the online tool mentioned above and was able to retrieve it. The system asked for info from my previous year's tax return for verification, so have that handy. Took about 10 minutes total. Definitely better than trying to call!
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Ethan Scott
•Same here! Never got my letter but retrieved it online. Just make sure you create an ID.me account first if you don't already have one - that's required for accessing the IRS online account services now.
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