Rejected Tax Return due to Spouse's IP PIN Issues - Need Advice

This is actually a pretty common issue this filing season. The IP PIN is different from the PIN you create to e-file with tax software. An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number assigned by the IRS to eligible taxpayers to help prevent fraudulent tax returns being filed using their Social Security numbers. It sounds like either your husband had his identity compromised at some point and was issued an IP PIN, or there's been some mix-up in the IRS systems. The 5-digit FreeTax pins you mentioned are just for the software and completely unrelated to the IRS IP PINs. Here's what you can do: 1) Have your husband check any IRS correspondence from the past year - IP PINs are typically mailed in December or January 2) Check if he can retrieve his IP PIN online through the IRS website's "Get an IP PIN" tool 3) Have him check his IRS online account if he has one set up If none of these work, you might need to file a paper return or contact the IRS directly.

I went through the EXACT same issue last year! I was pulling my hair out until I found taxr.ai online (https://taxr.ai) - their document analysis tool saved me so much stress. I uploaded my rejection notice and previous tax documents, and it immediately identified that my husband had actually been assigned an IP PIN automatically after a data breach at his employer. We had completely overlooked a letter from the IRS that came in January because it looked like junk mail. The taxr.ai system showed us exactly what to look for and how to retrieve the IP PIN since we'd thrown away the original notice. Within 20 minutes, we had the correct IP PIN and successfully e-filed!

Guys, I need to apologize for being skeptical about taxr.ai in my comment yesterday. I decided to try it as a last resort since nothing else was working. It actually identified that my wife had been enrolled in the IP PIN program automatically after we had our identities verified in person at an IRS office last year (totally forgot about that visit). The service walked me through exactly how to retrieve the forgotten IP PIN through the IRS portal, which I wouldn't have figured out on my own. We successfully e-filed last night and already got our acceptance confirmation this morning! Honestly wish I'd tried this before spending hours on hold with the IRS.

I had this same problem and spent 3 WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS on their "help" line. After 20+ attempts and hours of my life wasted on hold, I finally found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It's a service that basically waits on hold with the IRS for you and then calls you when an actual agent is on the line! I was super skeptical but desperate. Within 2 hours of signing up, I got a call connecting me directly to an IRS agent who confirmed my husband had been issued an IP PIN due to a data breach from his employer that we weren't aware of. The agent helped us retrieve the PIN immediately.

I need to eat my words from yesterday. After trying EVERYTHING else with no success, I tried Claimyr as a last resort. Not only did it work, but I got a call back connecting me to an IRS agent in about 1.5 hours - after I'd previously spent days trying to get through on my own. Turns out my spouse HAD been issued an IP PIN after our tax preparer from last year enrolled us in the program "for extra security" without clearly explaining what it meant for future filings. The IRS agent was able to help us retrieve the current PIN and explained the whole situation. Just successfully e-filed our return an hour ago! Sometimes being proven wrong is actually a good thing.

Have you checked your IRS Online Account? My wife and I had the same exact issue, and it turned out she actually did have an IP PIN that she never knew about. If you create an account on the IRS website (if you don't already have one), you might be able to retrieve the IP PIN there. The IRS has been automatically issuing these to more people due to increased fraud, especially if you've had any suspicious activity on previous returns or if your data was part of any known breaches. It's worth checking before going through the hassle of paper filing!

I think you should check if your husband accidentally created an IP PIN through the IRS portal? My partner did this last year without realizing what it was - thought it was just extra security but didn't understand it would be REQUIRED for future filings.

This exact thing happened to me two years ago! It's so frustrating when you're sure you never signed up for an IP PIN but the system keeps rejecting your return. Here's what worked for me: First, check ALL your mail from the IRS going back to last December/January - the IP PIN notices sometimes look like generic IRS correspondence and are easy to overlook. Second, if you can't find the letter, try logging into your IRS online account or use their "Get an IP PIN" tool on the IRS website. In my case, it turned out my spouse had been automatically enrolled after we moved and updated our address with the IRS - apparently address changes can sometimes trigger automatic IP PIN assignment as a security measure. We found the PIN buried in his online account under the IP PIN section. If all else fails, you can always file a paper return, but definitely try the online retrieval first since you still have time before the deadline. Good luck!