Request an IRS Identity Protection PIN Before the Mid-November Shutdown

On October 22, 2026, the IRS issued a reminder (IR-2026-127) that asks taxpayers to do two things before the 2027 filing season: protect the sign-in details for their IRS online account, and request an Identity Protection PIN, usually called an IP PIN. The second item has a clock on it. The IRS says the online request system goes offline for annual maintenance in mid-November and is generally available again from mid-January, so anyone who wants a PIN in place for an early filing needs to act in the next few weeks.

Who is affected

Anyone with a Social Security number or an ITIN who can verify their identity may enroll. Parents and legal guardians can request a PIN for a dependent. Enrollment is open to people who have no filing requirement. If you or the dependent are under 18, the IRS page says you must use one of the alternative enrollment options instead of the online tool.

The PIN applies to the individual forms 1040, 1040-NR, 1040-PR, 1040-SR and 1040-SS. According to the IRS, it must be used when filing any federal return during the year, including a return for an earlier year. A missing or wrong PIN makes an e-filed return reject, and a paper return is delayed while the IRS sorts it out.

Effective date and deadlines

• Mid-November 2026: the online account system pauses for yearly maintenance.
• Mid-January 2027: the system is generally available again.
• Each calendar year: a new PIN is generated for your account. If you opted in through your online account, you retrieve the new one online; the IRS says the PIN is generally viewable from mid-January through mid-November.
• One-time enrollment: if you enrolled through a one-time option, you are opted out at the end of that calendar year, according to the IRS.

What to do now

1. Decide whether you want the protection. The IRS describes it as a proactive step open to anyone who qualifies.
2. Open your IRS online account. If you do not have one, you must register and verify your identity first.
3. Go to the IP PIN section of your profile and request the PIN. Write it down in a safe place, not in an email.
4. If you cannot verify online, look at the other routes on the IRS page: Form 15227, for those whose adjusted gross income on the last filed return was below $84,000 (single) or $168,000 (married filing jointly) and who have a telephone for the IRS to call, or an in-person appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. The IRS says the mailed PIN usually takes four to six weeks after Form 15227 verification, and about three weeks after in-person verification.
5. Give the PIN only to your tax professional, and only when you are ready to sign and submit the return.
6. Keep your online account sign-in to yourself. The IRS reminder says not to share it with anyone.
7. Next January, retrieve the new PIN before filing; last year's number will not work.

How it connects to our guides

If you are sorting out paperwork after a suspicious letter, our IRS help page and the guide on how to read an IRS notice explain what the common letters mean. A correct PIN also matters when you fix a return, so see the guide to amended returns on Form 1040-X. Households with visa holders can read how an ITIN for spouses and dependents works, because the IP PIN covers ITINs too. To plan your withholding for the new year, see Form W-4 withholding and the tax calendar.

How we can help

We can explain what the IP PIN does and does not cover, and use it correctly when we prepare and submit your return. We cannot request a PIN on your behalf through your personal online account, and we will ask for it only when the return is ready. This is general information and not advice for your personal circumstances.

Frequently asked questions

General information only, not tax, legal or accounting advice for your situation. Rules, limits and deadlines change; confirm the current rules with the official source or a qualified professional before you act. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship with CPA Tax Payroll and Accounting Corp.