IRS Announces Expansion of Voluntary IP PIN Program

IRS Announces Expansion of Voluntary IP PIN Program

An IP PIN (Identity Protection Personal Identification Number) is a six-digit number assigned by the IRS to taxpayers to help prevent the fraudulent use of their Social Security number on falsified federal income tax returns.  Originally, the IRS only issued IP PINs to taxpayers who were actual or suspected victims of tax-related identity theft.

A few years ago, the IRS implemented a pilot program which allowed taxpayers in three jurisdictions to request an IP PIN on a voluntary basis, even if they had not yet experienced tax-related identity theft. For the 2019 filing season, the IRS expanded the voluntary IP PIN program to include seven additional states.

The IRS recently announced that for the 2020 filing season (tax returns due in April 2021), the voluntary IP PIN program will be expanded further, and will now be available to taxpayers across 20 jurisdictions, including Arizona. Taxpayers must file a 2019 federal income tax return and be located in one of the eligible jurisdictions in order to request a voluntary IP PIN.

Although the voluntary IP PIN program will aid in protecting taxpayers from ID theft, individuals should consider that once they opt-in to the program they will not be able to opt-out and an IP PIN will be required for all future filings. A new IP PIN is generated for each filing season for all taxpayers participating in the program.

If you have any questions as it relates to the IRS Voluntary IP PIN program, or if you are considering opting into the program, please let us know.