Why is my return rejected twice due to wrong prior year AGI or PIN when switching from ITIN to SSN?

This is actually a common issue when transitioning from an ITIN to an SSN. The IRS verification system gets confused because it's looking for a match with last year's information, but the identifiers have changed. Try these options: First, when it asks for last year's AGI, make sure you're using the exact amount from line 11 of your 2024 Form 1040. If that doesn't work, try entering "0" as your prior year AGI - this is sometimes necessary when there's been an identification change. If neither works, you might need to file Form 8453-OL (the e-file signature authorization) with a paper signature and mail it in. Or you could request an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS website specifically for your wife, which would override the AGI verification requirement. The system is essentially trying to verify you're the same people who filed last year, but the change from ITIN to SSN is causing a mismatch in their verification database.

I went through this exact headache last year when my husband switched from ITIN to SSN. After multiple rejections, I found this amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really saved me. They have this smart document analyzer that can identify exactly why your return is being rejected - turns out there's specific procedures for ITIN-to-SSN transitions that regular tax software doesn't explain well. Their system analyzed our previous return alongside the new one and pinpointed exactly what was causing the rejection. In our case, we needed to use a specific combination of last year's AGI and indicate the ID change in a way FreeTaxUSA wasn't making clear. They even helped me understand what documentation I needed to keep in case of future questions from the IRS about the identifier change.

Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after my earlier skepticism and I'm so glad I did! I uploaded my rejected return and last year's accepted one, and within minutes they identified that I needed to use "0" for the prior year AGI field AND check a specific box in the e-file section indicating identification number change. My return was accepted on the first try after making those changes! The document analysis highlighted exactly which sections were causing problems, and even showed me a snippet from the IRS publications explaining the ITIN-to-SSN transition rules. Way more helpful than the generic "incorrect prior year AGI" error message from the IRS. Definitely worth it for the headache it saved me.

If you're still struggling with this after trying different AGI numbers, you might need to call the IRS directly. Problem is, their phone lines are absolutely swamped this time of year and you'll probably waste hours on hold. I had a similar situation last year and discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that literally saved me days of frustration. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree for you and calls you back once an actual human agent is on the line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with was able to verify my identity over the phone and help me override the e-file rejection. They explained that ITIN-to-SSN transitions require special handling, and the agent was able to note this in my file to prevent future issues.

I need to apologize for my skepticism and say Claimyr actually worked! After reading about it, I decided to try it yesterday evening after spending the entire afternoon failing to get through to the IRS myself. Their system called me back in about 45 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line! The agent confirmed exactly what others said here - when switching from ITIN to SSN, you need to enter "0" as your prior year AGI AND indicate the ID change in your tax software. The agent also mentioned they're seeing tons of these cases this year with the same rejection error. I was able to resubmit my return right after the call and it went through immediately. Wish I'd known about this service years ago!

Have you tried entering different variations of your AGI? Sometimes the tax software rounds differently than what the IRS has on file. Try entering your AGI with no cents, or try a dollar higher or lower. Also make sure you're using AGI not adjusted AGI or taxable income - they're all different numbers on your tax return.

Another option is to just paper file. Yeah it's slower, but it bypasses all the e-file verification issues completely. Print everything out, sign it, mail it in with your W-2s attached, and you're done. No dealing with AGI verification or PIN issues. That's what I ended up doing when I had a similar issue.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! My husband just got his SSN after using an ITIN for years, and we keep getting rejected for the same reason. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like there are a few key things to try: 1. Use "0" for prior year AGI instead of the actual amount 2. Make sure to indicate the ID number change somewhere in your tax software 3. Consider getting an IP PIN online if the first two don't work I'm going to try the "0" AGI approach first since that seems to be the most common solution people are mentioning. It's so frustrating that the tax software doesn't explain this ITIN-to-SSN transition issue clearly - seems like it happens to a lot of people! Has anyone found specific instructions in FreeTaxUSA about how to handle this situation? I've been looking through their help section but can't find anything about identifier changes.