# Where to enter your identity protection PIN on TurboTax

Source: https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/efile-fixes/ip-pin-turbotax
Publisher: Tax Software Desk (taxsoftwaredesk.com), independent editorial site
Topic: E-File Rejection Fixes
Last updated: 2026-09-18

> Where to enter identity protection PIN on TurboTax: go to Federal, then Other Tax Situations, and under Other Return Info open Identity protection PIN. Answer Yes, select Add and type the six-digit number the IRS issued for the current year. TurboTax also asks at step 3 of File. Everyone on the return who has an IP PIN, including a spouse or dependent, needs theirs entered.

## Key facts

- IP PIN length: 6 digits
- Valid for: One calendar year; a new PIN is issued each year
- Online account availability: Mid-January through mid-November
- Missing or wrong IP PIN: E-filed return is rejected

## When software asks for an IP PIN

An Identity Protection PIN is a six-digit number the IRS assigns so that nobody else can file a return using your Social Security number or ITIN. The IRS says each IP PIN is valid for one calendar year and a new one is generated every year. Anyone who can verify their identity can opt in, and parents or guardians can request one for dependents.

Tax software asks for it because the IRS checks it on every e-filed return. The IRS states that an incorrect or missing IP PIN causes an e-filed return to be rejected and delays a paper return. If you have never been issued one, leave the field empty; it is not required.

> **Three different PINs:** The IRS IP PIN is not the five-digit Self-Select PIN you choose to sign the return, and not any PIN or passcode for your TurboTax account. Typing one into the other's field is a common cause of rejections.

## Where to enter identity protection PIN on TurboTax: the screen

Intuit's help article gives the same path for both editions, with small wording differences.

### TurboTax Online and mobile

1. Open your return and go to the Federal section.
2. Select Other Tax Situations.
3. Under Other Return Info, select Start or Update next to Identity protection PIN.
4. Answer Yes on the Identity Protection PIN screen.
5. Select Add, type the six-digit IP PIN, then Continue and Done.

### TurboTax Desktop

1. Select the Federal Taxes tab at the top.
2. Open the Other Tax Situations sub-tab.
3. Find Other Return Info and select Start or Update next to Identity protection PIN.
4. Answer Yes, select Add and enter the number.
5. Select Continue, then Done.

You do not have to hunt for the screen in advance. Intuit says TurboTax prompts for the IP PIN when you reach step 3 of the File section. To remove an IP PIN you entered by mistake, open the same screen and select the trash icon.

## Spouse and dependent IP PINs

On a joint return, the IRS says each taxpayer who has an IP PIN must enter it. If only one spouse has one, enter only that spouse's number and leave the other blank.

Dependents are easy to miss. The IRS says an e-filed return is rejected if you leave out the IP PIN of a dependent who has one, and the number is reported on the Form 1040, on Form 2441 for the child care credit and on Schedule EIC. On a paper return you do not need to enter a dependent's IP PIN.

| Person on the return | Has an IP PIN? | Enter it on an e-filed return? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| You | Yes | Yes |
| Spouse on a joint return | Yes | Yes, their own number |
| Dependent | Yes | Yes, or the e-file is rejected |
| Anyone | No | No, leave blank |

Who needs an IP PIN entered

Intuit notes that dependents 18 and older retrieve their own IP PIN from their own IRS online account. For a dependent under 18, the IRS says a lost IP PIN cannot be retrieved online and must be reissued by mail after a phone call to the IRS.

## Identity protection PIN needs review in TurboTax

A needs review flag on the IP PIN screen means TurboTax found the field incomplete or in the wrong format. Check these causes one at a time.

- Fewer or more than six digits, or a space or dash typed in the box
- Last year's IP PIN instead of the one for the current calendar year
- Yes answered on the screen, but no number added
- The Self-Select PIN or a TurboTax account code typed here by mistake
- A spouse's number entered in the primary taxpayer's box

If the field looks right and the flag stays, delete the entry with the trash icon and add it again. For flags elsewhere in the return, see [TurboTax keeps saying needs review](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/turbotax-online/turbotax-needs-review).

## Getting the current year's IRS identity protection PIN

If you opted in online, the IRS does not mail the new number. Sign in to your IRS online account each year; the IP PIN appears on the profile page. The IRS says it is generally available from mid-January through mid-November. People the IRS enrolled after confirmed identity theft instead get a CP01A notice by mail each year.

Two other routes exist. Form 15227 is available when AGI is below 84,000 dollars for individuals or 168,000 dollars for married filing jointly, and the IRS says the PIN usually arrives in four to six weeks. An in-person identity check at a Taxpayer Assistance Center usually produces it within three weeks.

Use the same IP PIN on any prior-year or amended return you file during that calendar year, the IRS says. If you cannot get the number at all, you may file on paper, and the IRS will review the return to verify your identity, which can delay a refund.

## If the return was already rejected

A reject tied to an IP PIN means at least one SSN or ITIN on the return has an IP PIN requirement. Read the code to see whose number is missing or wrong, retrieve it, enter it on the screen above and send again. Our pages on the [TurboTax rejected return](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/efile-fixes/turbotax-rejected-return) message and on [resubmitting a rejected return](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/efile-fixes) cover the resend and its deadline window.

Early in the season, remember that a new IP PIN may not be visible until mid-January, while e-file for the 2027 season opens on a date not yet announced. See [when TurboTax starts accepting returns](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/efile-fixes/when-does-turbotax-start-accepting-returns) for how early returns are held, and [TurboTax won't let me e-file](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/efile-fixes/turbotax-wont-let-me-efile) if the File step stops for another reason.

> **Independence:** Tax Software Desk is independent and is not affiliated with Intuit, H&R Block, TaxAct, FreeTaxUSA, TaxSlayer, Block Inc. (Cash App Taxes), Wealthsimple, UFile or any other software company.

## Step by step

1. **Get the current IP PIN.** Sign in to your IRS online account and read the IP PIN on the profile page.
2. **Open the screen.** In TurboTax go to Federal, Other Tax Situations, then Identity protection PIN.
3. **Enter each PIN.** Answer Yes, select Add and enter the six digits for each person who has one.
4. **File.** Continue to File; TurboTax checks the IP PIN again at step 3.

## Common questions

### Where do I enter my IP PIN in TurboTax?

Federal, then Other Tax Situations, then Identity protection PIN under Other Return Info. Answer Yes, select Add and enter the six digits. TurboTax also asks at step 3 of File.

### What if the IP PIN field says needs review in TurboTax?

The entry is incomplete or in the wrong format. Confirm it is exactly six digits for the current year, belongs to the right person, and re-add it if the flag stays.

### Is the IRS IP PIN the same as the TurboTax PIN?

No. The IP PIN comes from the IRS and changes every year. The Self-Select PIN is a five-digit signature you choose, and TurboTax account codes are separate again.

### Can I use last year's IP PIN?

No. Each IP PIN is valid for one calendar year, so use the number shown in your IRS online account for the year you are filing in.

### Do I need my dependent's IP PIN to e-file?

Yes, if the dependent has one. The IRS rejects an e-filed return that leaves it out, though a paper return does not need it.

### Can I file without my IP PIN?

You can file on paper if you cannot retrieve it, but the IRS will verify your identity first, which may delay a refund.

## Sources

- [IRS: Get an identity protection PIN](https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin)
- [IRS: Didn't receive or lost your IP PIN?](https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/didnt-receive-or-lost-your-identity-protection-pin-ip-pin)
- [IRS: Frequently asked questions about the IP PIN](https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-identity-protection-personal-identification-number-ip-pin)
- [TurboTax: How do I get my 6-digit IP PIN and add it to my return?](https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/import-export-data-files/add-remove-6-digit-ip-pin/L1cz7f2zQ_US_en_US)
- [IRS: Electronic filing PIN request](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/electronic-filing-pin-request)