How to put an identity protection PIN on child's SSN for security?
I want to protect my kids SSN from identity theft and heard you can put a pin on it. Anyone know the process? Is it worth doing? Getting nervous about all these data breaches lately.
16 comments
Join the conversation
NightOwl42
Tax professional here - Yes, you absolutely can and should get an IP PIN for your children! Go to IRS.gov, use the Get An IP PIN tool. You'll need to verify your identity first, then you can request PINs for your dependents. New PINs are issued every year in December/January. Just remember you MUST use the PIN when filing returns or they'll get rejected.
0 coins
Dylan Hughes
AuthorThank you! Do I need to do anything special since these are for minors?
0 coins
NightOwl42
Nope! As long as you can verify your own identity, you can request them for your dependents. Just have their SSNs handy.
0 coins
Sofia Rodriguez
Hey, you should check out taxr.ai - it's this new tool that helps analyze transcripts and can actually show you if anyone has tried using your kids' SSNs. Its only $1 and gives you a full security report. I use it for my whole family https://taxr.ai
0 coins
Dmitry Ivanov
Is it legit? Kinda sounds too good to be true 🤔
0 coins
Sofia Rodriguez
100% legit! It saved me so much time figuring out if my kids info was compromised. The security report showed everything clear thank god 😅
0 coins
Ava Thompson
Did this last year after my neighbors kid had his identity stolen. Super easy process but make sure you save the PIN somewhere safe!
0 coins
Miguel Herrera
omg its such a headache if u forget the pin tho 💀 speaking from experience lol
0 coins
Zainab Ali
fr fr learned that the hard way too 🤡
0 coins
Connor Murphy
Just wondering - does anyone know if you have to renew these every year? Or is it a one and done thing?
0 coins
NightOwl42
New PIN every year. IRS sends them in December for the next filing season.
0 coins
Yara Nassar
its crazy we even need to do this tbh. like why cant the gov just protect our kids ssn better in the first place smh
0 coins
StarGazer101
Facts! 💯
0 coins
CosmicCadet
Definitely worth doing! I set up IP PINs for both my kids after reading about how common child identity theft is. The process is straightforward - just make sure you have all their documents ready when you go through the verification. Also pro tip: set a calendar reminder for December each year so you don't forget to get the new PIN!
0 coins
Emma Anderson
This is such valuable information! I've been meaning to look into this for months but kept procrastinating. The step-by-step guidance from @NightOwl42 about using the IRS.gov Get An IP PIN tool is exactly what I needed. And wow, I had no idea about checking for existing credit reports for kids - that's genuinely terrifying that theft can go undetected for years. Definitely setting calendar reminders for December renewals and keeping everything in my password manager. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and making this feel less overwhelming!
0 coins
Yuki Kobayashi
Same here! I've been dragging my feet on this for way too long. Seeing everyone's experiences really drives home how important this is. The part about checking existing credit reports for kids is what really got my attention - I never even considered that someone could already be using their SSNs without us knowing. Going to tackle both the IP PINs and credit checks this weekend while I'm motivated. Thanks for summarizing all the key points so well!
0 coins